SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - With the highly contagious delta variant fueling a surge in coronavirus cases just as students return to classrooms, major school districts in Arizona, Florida, Texas and beyond are increasingly defying Republican leaders who banned school mask mandates in several states.The showdowns have drawn in the White House and landed in courtrooms where judges have so far allowed school mask requirements in two states.Schools across the U.S.
have a patchwork of different rules as they try to keep classrooms open during the coronavirus pandemic, but in several states GOP leaders banned districts from requiring all kids to wear masks.But with infections and hospitalizations on the rise and vaccinations out of reach for young.