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Louisiana's top school board will soon decide whether to defy Gov. John Bel Edwards and let school districts decide if public school students should be forced to wear face masks because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is set to take up the issue during its meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
While BESE issues rarely boil down to partisan splits, majority Republicans on the board are said to be especially interested in debating the mask issue and Democrat Edwards' authority.
The topic could also spark a heavy turnout of residents because face masks for students have sparked controversy in St. Tammany Parish and elsewhere.