WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - Monday night, USD 259 took a major step in its COVID-19 response. It's mandating masks starting Aug. 30.

Board members voted 6-to-0 to mandate the masks. They say they made the decision based off the CDC and the governor's recommendations. 

"I cannot control what other people do in their homes, but when my home and my family’s health is threatened, it becomes a problem," Jarris Perkins, a Wichita Public Schools parents said.

Monday evening, USD 259 board members met to consider whether to mandate masks at the district's schools. Several parents spoke out during the meeting. Perkins was one of them.

"You cannot control a parents choice to send their ill child or unknowingly ill child to school, but you can keep their germs contained by masking," Perkins said.

But parents' throughts weren't the only things that the board members considered before voting to mandate masks. 

"What we wanted to look at was what the local health officials and medical staff was saying and they came out with some pretty strong recommendations," Board president Stan Reeser said.

Reeser said that, along with guidance from the CDC and the local board of health, led to the USD 259 to mandate masks starting Aug. 30.

"The kids are so excited to be back in school that’s they are basically waiting for us adults to get out of the way.... we think this was the best move to make tonight," Reeser said.

During that meeting school officials said there have been 194 students and 51 teachers in the district that have already tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 1,600 students are in quarantine.