August 12, 2021
In May this year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an order stating that no government institute or school has the authority to impose a mask mandate. And now the Austin Independent School District is all set to join the Dallas Independent School District in defying the state orders.
Austin ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde had told that not many people were satisfied with the mandate but they had to forcefully accept it as it was imposed without any if and but. “That being said, I am responsible for the safety, the health and the welfare of each and every one of our students and our staff,” she added.
She further assured that “If I err, I must err on the side of ensuring that we have been overly cautious, not that we have fallen short.” Dallas Superintendent Michael Hinojosa has confirmed that the situation has got “significantly urgent.”
The school board president fully supported the decision and declared that “requiring masks for staff and students while on district property is a reasonable and necessary safety protocol to protect against the spread of COVID-19 and the new delta variant.”
Last school year saw a decline in COVID infections due to the stringent use of masks and other precautions by the educators and staff.