Dallas County schools now bringing back mask mandates following Judge Jenkins' order
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Almost immediately after Dallas County issued its mask mandate Wednesday afternoon, every school district in Dallas County brought back a mask mandate.
Masks will be required for all students and staff indoors and on buses.
Because other North Texas counties didn't issue any similar orders, only a few districts outside Dallas County issued a mask mandate.
Those that did include Fort Worth, Everman, and Crowley ISDs.
RELATED: Fort Worth ISD to require masks for students, staff for upcoming school year
Many students heading back to school at Grand Prairie ISD campuses wore masks Wednesday, even though the district did not require it. But by the end of the day, parents learned masks must be worn while inside Dallas County schools starting Thursday.
"I feel it’s kind of hard for the kids to wear them all day long. I feel like it’s a little much, but I totally get for like the safety and everything," parent Harleigh Clague said.
The order comes from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who’s defiantly going against Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order that says local governments and school districts cannot require masks.
"And we were going to stick to that plan, and obviously the governor’s executive order was to keep masks optional, and that was the plan," said Sam Buchmeyer, with Grand Prairie ISD.
Grand Prairie is just one of the public school districts in Dallas County, along with child care centers, that are now being told by Jenkins it must implement a mask mandate policy.
RELATED: Dallas County mask mandate starts Thursday due to COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak
FILE - A poster from the CDC in the hallway that says, "Please wear a cloth face covering" and "Maintain a distance of 6 feet whenever possible." (Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)
"So, essentially, Thursday, we will go with required masks," Buchmeyer said. "It’s just a quick update, quick revision."
Some parents believe the protection from masks is better than nothing, but they’re concerned they won’t wear them correctly.
"It’s just a challenge with kids because, like I said, they’re designed to fit adult faces," parent Bob Stallmann. "I see them criss-crossing the straps and what it does is it makes it bulge out of the sides, so they’re breathing out and their breath is going out, and they’re also breathing in."
RELATED: Growing list of Texas schools defy Gov. Abbott’s ban on mask mandates
Though most parents FOX 4 spoke with Wednesday afternoon said they are on board with a mask mandate at schools.
"It’s okay with us," Myranda Jaramillo said.
"I’m okay with it just because everybody’s going to be in the classroom, everybody’s back, so I think it’ll just be safer for everybody involved," Danielle Collins said.
"It’s safe for the children because they are not vaccinated yet," Eileen Ho said.
At the same time, some parents believe the mask debate is so politicized that the rules can change at any moment.