Texas school district changes its dress code to dodge the mask mandate ban

The Paris Independent School District in Texas has made face masks part of its school dress code, viewing it as loophole to get around Republican Governor Gregg Abbott's statewide ban on mask mandates. The district in north Texas, which has about 4,000 students, said in a statement, "The Board believes the dress code can be used to mitigate communicable health issues. 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 schools of the district." The district is requiring masks for all employees and students. A spokeswoman for Abbott -- who is himself quarantining after testing positive for Covid-19 -- told the Washington Post, "There is no loophole. While a school district cannot mandate or prohibit masks, parents and guardians have the right to decide whether their child will wear a mask or not." Texas has been dealing with surging Covid infections and hospitalizations driven by the delta variant