Local school decisions moot after Beshear’s mask mandate

Gov. Andy Beshear has announced a statewide mask mandate for schools.

“This is how we make sure we protect our children, but this is also how we make sure that they stay in school,” said Beshear during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

Local school boards have been meeting to make decisions for their individual areas, but the board votes are now moot.

Whitley County Superintendent John Siler released a statement on the district’s Facebook page on July 29 stating that the district would not require masks.

Corbin Independent School District voted during a special called meeting on Aug. 5 to encourage the wearing of masks per Center for Disease Control and Whitley County Health Department recommendations, but stated that the district would not police masking.

The Williamsburg Independent Board of Education was slated to vote on the issue Tuesday, but after an open meetings issue, the vote was delayed until Aug. 17. Whether the board will still vote is unclear.