BREAKING UPDATE: Update 4:45 p.m. A New York Appellate Court judge has granted a motion to stay the decision of the state Supreme Court judge's ruling on the mask mandate. The indoor mask mandate remains in effect.

Hudson Valley school officials are trying to figure out what to make of a state Supreme Court judge's ruling that has struck down New York's mask mandate.

The judge ruled that Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Health Department exceeded their authority when they issued their indoor mask mandate last month.

Amid rising COVID-19 cases, the governor, with the help of the state health commissioner, issued a mandate in December that required all New Yorkers to wear masks in all indoor public spaces, including schools.

MORE: Where do some Hudson Valley school districts stand when it comes to wearing masks?

But the judge said neither the governor nor the state health commissioner had the authority to enact the mandate on their own because the governor no longer has emergency powers.

State lawmakers passed a bill last March limiting the governor's ability to issue emergency orders. Gov. Hochul would need to have the state Legislature vote to pass the mandate.

Late Monday night, the state attorney general filed an appeal against the judge's ruling.

State education officials and the Catholic archdiocese say that since New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) appealed the Nassau County Supreme Court justice's decision Monday night, the result is an automatic stay, which restores the mask mandate until an appeals court makes a decision. Because of the stay, they say schools in New York state must continue to follow the existing mask rule.

Some school districts such as Pleasantville, Port Chester, Yonkers and all Rockland County schools are still masking up. But others, like Harrison, Mamaroneck, Eastchester and Irvington, are now making masks optional for students and staff. "It certainly was a fun and interesting night up until the wee hours and it continued to be early this morning," says Pleasantville School Superintendent Dr. Tina DeSa.

Dr. DeSa, along with school administrators all over the state, were left scrambling trying to figure out if their students still needed to mask up when came to class Tuesday morning.

With so much conflicting information going around, many parents are understandably confused. "I think that the district is being responsible and in compliance with they need to be as they need to be and I'm sure they'll make responsible decisions," says Maura Linzer, of Pleasantville.