At Monday’s Knoxville School Board meeting, it was announced that all students in the district will be required to wear masks at the beginning of the school year. Previously, only middle school and high school students would be required to wear masks. Superintendent Cassi Pearson says this is due to constantly changing information, and the board wanted to prioritize safety.

“Over the last few weeks, there have been more schools that have started, there are some youth camps that have occurred, and a lot more kids tend to be testing positive right now, as well as family members. Looking at the new information we’ve received, we decided it was in the best interest of our students and our staff for their health and safety to require masks for all students at this point. We will continue to monitor the information and the new research. That could continue to change throughout the course of the year.”

The school year begins Thursday, August 20th. To hear a complete interview with Pearson, tune into today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.