HELENA, Mont. (NMB) – Governor Greg Gianforte has announced an emergency rule from the Department of Public Health and Human Services that he says promotes the role of parents as “the ultimate decision makers” when it comes to school related health matters, including the contentious issue of wearing masks in schools.
The emergency rule, which is in effect for 120 days, says that parents should be provided the ability to opt-out of health-related mandates for a variety of reasons, including religious beliefs and protecting the health of the child.
The CDC continues to recommend universal indoor masking at all indoor school settings for anyone 2 and older, but Gianforte says the research regarding masks remains inconclusive when it pertains to them reducing COVID-19 spread in the classroom.
Most school districts in the state already have optional masking policies, but some of the larger districts in the state have mandated the wearing of face coverings.
Missoula Public Schools has said they will continue to enforce mandatory face coverings indoors, saying that they believe the emergency rule is a suggestion rather than a binding document.
