Several Houston-area school districts are responding after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the lifting of business capacity limits and the state’s mask mandate.
Under the executive order, which went into effect on March 10, Abbott added that public schools may operate under the standard health protocols issued by the Texas Education Agency. Private schools and colleges are expected to follow the same standard.
Houston-area school districts have issued statements on how they plan to move forward.
SURVEY: School Districts and Face Masks
As of Wednesday, March 10, Texas has a revised statewide mask mandate. What is your school district’s current policy on face masks?
|
School District |
Response |
Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Dickinson ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Draw Academy-Charter School | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Harris County has been under RED alert since the beginning of the pandemic. It does not make any sense to lower our guards now. |
| East Bernard ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Southwest Schools | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Tomball ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| College Station ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Shepherd ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Van Vleck ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Pro-Vision Educational Services Charter School District | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Pro-Vision Educational Services Charter School District continues to require masks and social distancing in all district facilities. |
| Willis ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| UH Charter School | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Aldine ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Sam Houston State University Charter School | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Clear Creek ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Navasota ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Raul Yzguirre Schools for Success Houston/Brownsville | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Our safety protocols remain in place – nothing has changed regardless of Govenor’s decision. |
| Amigos Por Vida-Friends For Life Public Charter School | Require masks and/or facial coverings | We will maintain all COVID-19 protocols in place for the remainder of the school year. |
| Huffman ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | We will continue with our current COVID protocols. Thank you! |
| Two Dimensions ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Two Dimensions will remain with our local policy that includes everyone must have on a mask to enter the building. |
| Damon ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Our policy will remain in effect until all staff members wanting to be vaccinated, are fully vaccinated. After that we will survey our stakeholders for consideration of a change in policy. |
| Academy of Accelerated Learning | Require masks and/or facial coverings | N/A |
| Magnolia ISD | Optional/Not Required | Effective April 1 |
| Hitchcock ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Boling ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Spring Branch Independent School District | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Spring Branch ISD will continue to follow its COVID-19 protocols, including requiring the wearing of face masks or coverings by all students and adults in our schools and facilities. Our decision to continue our COVID-19 safety requirements is based on guidance from the Texas Education Agency on consultation with our medical partners at Memorial Hermann, as well as guidance from local, state and national government and health agencies. |
| Katy Independent School District | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Katy ISD Safety Protocols Remain in Effect Through End of School Year KATY [March 8, 2021] – As Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order (GA-34) takes effect this Wednesday, March 10, Katy Independent School District will continue in compliance with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) public school COVID-19 safety guidance which includes the wearing of facial coverings while on school property, social distancing when possible, frequent hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer. “At this time, I recommend that the Katy ISD Smart Restart safety protocols remain in effect across Katy ISD facilities until the end of the school year,” said Dr. Ken Gregorski, Superintendent of Schools at Katy ISD. “The safety protocols have allowed our teachers and staff to successfully keep our classrooms and schools open while mitigating the spread of the virus,” added Gregorski. The decision was based on TEA’s guidance, the consultation with local health officials as well as the following considerations: • The number of active COVID-19 positive cases across the District and in our surrounding communities. • Teacher and staffs’ stated vulnerability and desire for continued protection again the virus, and • The UIL, the governing body of school fine arts and athletic activities, requirement for district to maintain a plan to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 during practices and events. The District’s Phase 2 Safety Protocols, which went into effect on Monday, March 1 will remain in effect. They include the practices set forth by TEA, as well as incorporates volunteers returning to campuses, and resumes large events/activities and outside usage of Katy ISD facilities. The District’s Phase 2 safety protocols can be found in the Katy ISD Mitigation Plan. |
| Splendora ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Houston Independent School District | Require masks and/or facial coverings | HISD will continue to require all students, staff, and visitors to wear masks on district property and at district events. This requirement is consistent with the advice of health professionals and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, HISD will continue to follow the guidelines of its Communicable Disease Plan for the safety of all of our students and staff at all HISD campuses and district buildings, including practicing physical distancing. For more information on HISD’s safety measures, please visit www.HoustonISD.org/CDP. |
| Humble ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Mask Policy – Updated Policy Approved March 9, 2021 Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott lifted the state-wide mandate for masks and face coverings, and referred to TEA to establish guidelines for schools. TEA in turn established face covering protocols very similar to the Governor’s former order, but empowered each local school board with the authority to modify, eliminate, or substitute a local face covering policy in place of TEA’s version. The following policy was approved at the regular March meeting of the Board of Trustees on March 9, 2021, and is effective immediately. Every student, teacher, staff member, and visitor shall wear a mask or face shield over the nose and mouth when on school district property or at a district event wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household; provided, however, that this mask requirement does not apply to the following: Any person younger than 10 years of age; Any person with a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a mask; Any person while the person is consuming food or drink, or is seated in a dining area to eat or drink; Any person while the person is actively exercising or engaging in physical activity; Any spectator at an outdoor event; Any person while the person is giving a speech for a broadcast or to an audience; or Any student while actively participating in an activity where it is impractical to wear a mask or face shield. |
| Alvin ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Louise ISD | Optional/Not Required | |
| Bryan ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Bloom Academy Charter School | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Alief ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Conroe Independent School District | Require masks and/or facial coverings | You can view Dr. Null’s update on our YouTube Channel where he discusses this decision. https://youtu.be/tVu33kmR2wQ |
| Alief Montessori Community School | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Safety first–until we have the majority of Houston families vaccinated, we need to be diligent with wearing face mask, social distancing and frequent hand washing. |
| Weimar ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Odyssey Academy | Require masks and/or facial coverings | To optimize health and safety for our staff and students, Odyssey Academy will continue with our current protocols. |
| Sheldon ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Texas City ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Governor Abbott has rescinded the statewide mask mandate effective March 10, 2021. The Texas Education Agency (TEA), which oversees public school districts in our state, recommends that schools still follow CDC guidelines to wear masks in public settings when around others. Student and staff safety remain a top priority for us. Therefore, Texas City ISD will continue our current mitigation efforts and protocols that have been in place this school year, which includes wearing masks (per CDC guidance). If there are any changes to our current procedures in the future, we will let you know. |
| Hempstead ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | This may change after the March 29 board meeting |
| La Porte ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Calvin Nelms Charter School | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Anderson-Shiro CISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Friendswood ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Cypress-Fairbanks ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | Sent to parents/staff on Friday, March 5 in a letter with updates to the district’s LEAD Safely plan: CFISD will continue its health and hygiene practices in the LEAD Safely plan, including the requirement of masks for all students, staff, and visitors. |
| Onalaska ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Rêve Preparatory Charter School | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| A+ Unlimited Potential | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Crosby ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| The Rhodes School | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Cleveland ISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings | |
| Goose Creek CISD | Require masks and/or facial coverings |
Source: www.click2houston.com