Texas state reps. call on Abbott to permit school mask mandates amid rising COVID-19 cases

Under Abbott’s Executive Order GA-36 issued in May, government entities, including school districts, counties, cities and public health authorities in Texas, cannot mandate mask wearing. As of June 4, public schools cannot require students, staff members, parents or campus visitors to wear face coverings, per Abbott’s order.


Goodwin’s letter went on to ask Morath and the Texas Education Agency to enable virtual instruction options for students, particularly those at a risk of contracting coronavirus or suffering complications as a result of the virus. School districts statewide nixed plans to provide virtual instruction for the upcoming school year after House Bill 1468一designed to provide funding to continue virtual learning一 failed to pass during the 87th legislative session.

Several districts, including Round Rock ISD, will continue to provide virtual learning options for certain students in the 2021-22 school year; however, this initiative will be funded independent from state dollars. In fact, RRISD will lose about $4,000 per semester in attendance-based funding for each student who engages in remote learning.

Nearby in Leander ISD, parent interest in a virtual learning program exceeded the district’s 300-student capacity by July 21, with a recent influx of applications, according to Superintendent Bruce Gearing.

“Families are concerned about matters of life and death: If they feel that pulling their child out of school is the only way to survive, then they will do that,” Goodwin wrote. “The least we can do is provide them an option so they will not have to sacrifice their child’s education to ensure their safety.”