93-3-WMR Audio on Demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast.

And now, Preston and Steve's news update with Kathy Romano.

Today is Tuesday, June 8th. Good morning, Kathy.

Good morning in the news this morning.

A decision to make mask wearing optional is causing controversy in a Bucks

County school district. The council Rock School Board voted seven to one Thursday night to lift the

mandatory mask mandate in its schools affecting more than 11,000 students and their families immediately.

Tax were going out at 10.15 at night to parents for things that were starting the very next day,

and I don't think that's a good process, said Denise Brooks, who was the only school board member to vote no on the measure. School board president, Ed Solomon, said in a statement, the vote to make masks optional was done in reliance on the opinions and recommendations publicly expressed by the director of Bucks County Health Department and following consultation with our solicitor. These buildings are full of unvaccinated children.

They need to be masks, said Michael Howes, who has three children in the district.

He started a petition with nearly 500 signatures against the vote.

He's also keeping his kids virtual.

He says he doesn't feel safe with them in school.

Nobody under the age of 12 can even be vaccinated and nobody under the age of 16 can

possibly have a full immune response,

even if they got it on the first day until June 16th, he said.

Others, however, say it's easier to learn instead of having to be stuck in the building for

seven hours straight wearing a mask.

The school board's decision does go against the most recent Pennsylvania guidance for schools,

which includes mandatory mask wearing.

You know, there's a lot of learning left to do with, what, a week left in school maybe? Yeah. And you can't learn? Less, I think they're done on Friday. Pretty sure they're done this Friday. Oh, my God. Come on, man. I was going to ask how much school is left. Air on the side of safety. This is it. This week. We're done this week.

I will say I got an end of school year annoyance.

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