YISD superintendent to recommend board keep school mask mandate
EL PASO, Texas -- The ramifications of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's announcement that he will remove the statewide mask mandate and allow all businesses to reopen at full capacity next week are being felt by many.
The Texas Education Agency on Wednesday updated its public health guidance in response to Abbott’s order. The TEA stated that a public school system’s current practices on masks may continue unchanged and the local school boards have full authority to change their local mask policy.
School districts ABC-7 spoke with Wednesday were considering the decisions they will make.
While many haven’t made a formal announcement yet, Ysleta Independent School District Superintendent Xavier De La Torre said he will be recommending to his board that the mask mandate stays.
“I think a mask is a non-negotiable,” De La Torre said. "The reason we are called independent school districts is because our board policies afford us the latitude to deviate from some of what the state would like to see and focus on what our local community would like to see."
As the decision is still in process for local districts, that leaves many parents uneasy about their kids being back at school.
Alejandra Chavez, the owner of Thyme Matters and mother of three children in elementary school, says she is very concerned in the wake of the governor's announcement.
Chavez sent her children back to school just two weeks ago as she felt like then was the right time given the safety guidelines put in place. But now, she’s considering pulling them back out again if masks aren't enforced at school, which in turn would make running her business extremely difficult.
“It makes me very nervous, children tend to interact differently than adults do as it is,” Chavez said. “I want my kids to be in a safe environment so that I can come to work, lift my business up and do what I can do best here.”
YISD is keeping the mask requirement for outdoor sports, but the district is allowing parents to watch their kids play.
"We felt we were very capable of allowing each of our student athletes to invite two parents to support them and watch them compete,” De La Torre said.
All parents must undergo a health screening upon entering the venue, they must wear coverings or masks and maintain social distancing.
“It makes me very happy that we are able to see our students play, especially my son,” Cristel Edens said. “He’s a senior so I am looking forward to watching him play this season.”
