“We did it,” conservative North Alabama District 5 Congressional candidate Andy Blalock told 1819 News Wednesday morning as he announced that Madison City Schools is dropping their mandatory student masking rule and making masks optional effective Thursday, February 24.
A schoolteacher himself, Blalock had called for a “mass stay at home” protest of mandatory masking in both Madison and Huntsville City Schools on Friday, Feb. 25. As of Wednesday morning, Huntsville City Schools still requires students to wear masks while at school.
Blalock, fresh off what he calls a victory on behalf of “preserving the rights of parents to make decisions for their own children” in Madison, is continuing his campaign against mandatory masking. He is calling for parents to proceed with the "2/25 Mask Freedom Day" in Huntsville, on Friday. Blalock hopes the system follows the lead of the Madison school system leaders by making masking optional for K-12 students.
“Huntsville City Schools, we are calling on you to please do the same,” Blalock said. “Let’s unite these kids with smiles and fresh air.”
The switch to optional masking for students in Madison was approved during a special 7 a.m. meeting of the Madison City Board of Education.
”The pressure is now on Huntsville City Schools to do the same,” said Blalock.
Blalock is a Huntsville City Schools teacher. He believes masks hinder learning and are “abusive.”
“Our kids need to be able to learn without being masked up,” said Blalock. “As a teacher, I see it firsthand how kids are not as focused and how the masks are constantly in the way.”
The Huntsville City School System has not responded publicly to a call to end mask mandates.
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