The DeKalb County Board of Education voted to lift the mask mandate at all DeKalb County Schools last week during their regular meeting. The board voted six to one in favor of removing the mandate that has been in place since the beginning of the school year.

Third district board member Jim Beshearse made the motion, with sixth district member Jason Miller seconding the motion. Chairman Danny Parkerson of the first district, Alan Hayes of the second district, Jamie Cripps of the fifth district, and Shaun Tubbs of the seventh district all voted in favor of the motion.

Fourth district member Kate Miller addressed the board saying, “I’ll just make the comment that the CDC, and the Tennessee Department of Health, still make the recommendation that the administration require masks in schools. I know that we still have COVID in our community, so my vote is no.”

Before the vote, Chairman Parkerson stated that he would like everyone to respect a bus driver, or a teacher in their classroom, if they choose to continue to wear a mask. “If they want to wear a mask, that is up to them. But, have respect for them if that is what they choose.”