Paris ISD finds loophole in governor's mask mandate ban by adding masks to dress code
PARIS, Texas - A small northeast Texas school district may have found a way to get around Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates.
The Paris Independent School District in Lamar County added masks to its dress code.
The school board said it had the exclusive power to govern and manage the district.
"The Board of Trustees is concerned about the health and safety of its students and employees. The Board believes the dress code can be used to mitigate communicable health issues, and therefore has amended the PISD dress code to protect our students and employees. The Texas Governor does not have the authority to usurp the Board of Trustees’ exclusive power and duty to govern and oversee the management of the public school district. Nothing in the Governor’s Executive Order 38 states he has suspended Chapter 11 of the Texas Education Code, and therefore the Board has elected to amend its dress code consistent with its statutory authority," the district said in a statement.
School for Paris ISD’s 4,000 students starts on Thursday.
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