In a 4-3 vote at a special school board meeting packed with parents Thursday, the Southern Boone school board rescinded masking requirements for the entire district.

Masks are still required on school buses, as it is still federal law.

The newly approved motion nullifies the previous rule that was approved by the school board in late August, which required schools to impose mask mandates for two weeks if fifteen percent of the school building's population tested positive for the coronavirus or had been exposed to someone who tested positive.

Southern Boone Middle School's temporary mask mandate was supposed to start Thursday before the new rule was passed. It's unclear if the now previous rule was enforced for the day.

Brad Bartow, a parent who attended the meeting, was pleased with the result.

"These people work for us, and I think we let them know that. I think they felt a little pressure, but they're not used to feeling that pressure all the time. It was good having a full quorum, full seats, and everybody voicing their opinion," he said.