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Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II said Thursday that he plans to bring a mask warrant for ratification at the district board meeting next week, paving the way for the most the state’s large district could potentially overturn an executive order of the governor prohibiting such terms.
As part of the proposed mandate, all students and district staff are expected to wear masks in facilities and buses, House said at Thursday night’s board meeting.
If approved, the warrant would be among the first of its kind issued by a public school district in the Houston area, and apparently the state, since Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning such directives.
Earlier this week, Mayor Sylvester Turner told city workers they were once again required to wear masks when at work and unable to practice social distancing.
Following the announcement, the Houston Chronicle interviewed 32 area school districts about their masking plans. At least 17 districts have said they will not challenge the governor’s order instituting mask warrants despite a spate of COVID-19 cases filling area hospitals and growing concerns from some parents as they approach at the start of the school year.
It was not clear Thursday night whether other districts were planning to follow House’s initiative.
“We know we’re going to be pushed back for this,” House said. “We’re not going to be able to please everyone. But what we need to understand is: if we have the opportunity to save a life, this is what we should be doing. “
In revealing the proposal, House noted that Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo reduced the county to the highest COVID-19 threat level on Thursday and cited an increasing two-week positivity rate in the county and one skyrocketing hospitalizations.
“As the superintendent of schools for the largest school system in the state of Texas, this concerns me,” House said. “This worries me a lot.”
If approved, the mandate will bring the district closer to the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which, in updated guidelines, suggested that all people in schools not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 wear face masks. inside.
Children under 12 still cannot get the vaccine.
Abbott’s order prohibited government entities from requiring masks. Any local government or official who attempts to impose such an order could be subject to a fine of up to $ 1,000, according to Abbott’s office.
It was not clear how the fine would be imposed on school districts that challenged the order or whether entities that announced warrants this week had ever been fined.
A spokeswoman for the governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening.
Earlier this week, spokeswoman Renae Eze told The Chronicle in a statement that Abbott had been clear “the time has come for personal responsibility.”
“Every Texan has the right to choose whether they will wear a mask or have their children wear masks,” Eze said. “Vaccines are the most effective defense against contracting COVID and becoming seriously ill, and we continue to urge all eligible Texans to get vaccinated. “
House’s announcement came amid growing anxiety from some parents who expressed frustration with the order banning mask warrants. Some say they have written to the state’s highest elected official, begging him to back down, while others have started virtual petitions urging the warrants.
Houston Teachers’ Federation president Jackie Anderson, leader of the district’s largest employee union, said Thursday evening that the group applauded House’s announcement.
“Our members have made it clear that there is a need for clarity and leadership on this issue and the Superintendent is moving in the right direction,” said Anderson. “We firmly believe that getting vaccinated and wearing a mask is crucial to protecting the health of our students and everyone who works in our schools. “
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