By Will McDuffie

This weekend, some of Florida's largest school districts have moved to require masks for students, the latest in a weeklong saga that began when Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order aimed at preventing districts from mandating face coverings for kids.

MORE: DeSantis and school districts clash over masks as COVID-19 cases skyrocket in Florida

However, the mandates -- issued by districts including Hillsborough (Tampa), Orange (Orlando), and Palm Beach -- come with a catch: parents are allowed to opt their children out of them, without providing a reason.

Octavio Jones/Reuters, FILE

A protester who is against the school mask mandate, enacted to help slow the spread of COVID-19, stands outside with a sign at a Hillsborough County School Board meeting in Tampa, Fla., May 18, 2021.

Giving the choice to opt out complies with an emergency rule issued Friday by the Florida Department of Health, which told districts they must give parents the option.

MORE: Students can transfer schools to avoid COVID-19 'harassment' like mask mandates, Florida's board of education says

The state's biggest school district, Miami-Dade, has not announced whether it will mandate face coverings for students. Its latest protocols, issued July 29, require them on school buses but not inside school buildings.

Broward Public Schools, the state's second-largest district, has not updated its guidance from Wednesday, which said masks are required for students. The guidance did not mention the choice of opting out.

Some large school districts, like Polk, Pinellas, and Lee, are making masks optional for students, according to their most updated guidance.

Florida reported 23,903 COVID-19 cases in a single day on Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making it the state’s third straight day with over 20,000 new COVID cases.

As of Saturday, according to the Florida Hospital Association, there are 13,348 people hospitalized across the state -- the highest figure the state has had during the pandemic. Nearly 30% of inpatients have COVID and 43.3% of adult intensive care unit patients have COVID.

Ivy Ceballo/TNS via Zuma Press, FILE

Hillel Academy staff help children arrive for the first day of the school year in Tampa, Florida, Aug. 12, 2020.

Currently, one out of five new COVID infections are in Florida.

MORE: 1 in 5 new US COVID-19 infections in Florida

Below are the current mask policies for the 10 largest school districts in Florida, with links to the most recent guidance:

- Miami-Dade: optional

- Broward: required, with no opt-out option

- Hillsborough: required, with an opt-out option

- Orange: required for the first 30 days, with an opt-out option

- Palm Beach: required, with an opt-out option

- Duval: required, with an opt-out option

- Polk: optional