With just 25% of the state fully immunized and mere weeks left in the school year, Ducey decided that now is the time for schools to drop their guard.

"Teachers, families and students have acted responsibly to mitigate the spread of the virus and protect one another, and our school leaders are ready to decide if masks should be required on their campuses," he said in a statement.

Translation: Blame the school, not the governor, if your kid still has to wear a mask.

An 'embarrassing response to a virus'

State Superintendent Kathy Hoffman was blindsided by Ducey's sudden move, calling it "just one example in a long line of decisions that have resulted in Arizona's embarrassing response to a virus that has claimed over 17,000 lives and impacted thousands more."

Ducey also issued an executive order barring any local government or state agency from requiring vaccine passports to enter government property. Never mind that no local or state agency has proposed requiring vaccine passports.

In rescinding the school mask mandate, Ducey says he is following the recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But the latest update on the CDCs website says masks should be continue to be worn.

"All schools should implement and layer prevention strategies and should prioritize universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing," the CDC says.