HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — In Hillsborough County classrooms, students and staff are required to wear masks. The school district recently went against the governor to make mask-wearing mandatory.

Now, a ruling from a Leon County judge means the Hillsborough School Board was well within its right to make its own decision.

Many parents seem to be happy about that.

“I think it’s great that schools get the independence to do what they want to do,” said parent Katrina Demorato.

“We are coming back to the COVID again, and we need to be safe,” said grandparent Laura DaSilvia.

But there are also parents who don’t like the judge’s ruling.

“The governor only has our best interest at heart,” said parent Elaine Carlisle.

Carlisle runs a meat market in Brooksville. She supports the governor’s order that banned mandatory mask mandates in schools.

“Personally, I would not send my kids to school with a mask on,” Carlisle said. “Neither one of my children want to wear a mask and I’m not going going to make them wear one.”

This year, Carlisle is homeschooling her children because she wanted to avoid the possibility that they may be forced to wear masks. The Hernando School Board is meeting next week to discuss the issue.

Then there are those parents who say the judge’s ruling didn’t go far enough. They believe the health risk is too great and the judge should have ordered all schools to enforce facial coverings.

“I think it should be mandatory to have the masks in the public schools,” said parent Sarah Nasralla.

“I really don’t care who says what, I will always send my kids to school with a mask,” said parent Gretel Padron.