SAISD elects to reinstate mask order out of caution
Face masks will again be required in San Antonio Independent School District buildings starting Wednesday, after the district’s board voted unanimously to end a short-lived pause in the policy, citing a continued commitment to safety as the holidays near.
“As we are experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases and an anticipated rise after the holiday season,” the district will “continue to require students, parents, employees, and visitors to wear masks at all times while in district facilities,” interim Superintendent Robert Jaklich said in a letter to parents Tuesday.
The vote came after a two-hour closed session at its regular meeting Monday.
Jaklich’s letter said district officials have had a chance to “fully examine” a U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Dec. 1 that overturned a federal judge’s decision that Gov. Greg Abbott’s order forbidding mask mandates at schools violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Officials determined this latest order “is limited to the parties in the lawsuit. SAISD is not a party to that suit,” the letter said.
Court decisions at the state level, ruling on challenges to the legality of Abbott’s order, have been contradictory. Most school districts in Bexar County have jettisoned their mask mandates as coronavirus case numbers have improved.
On Friday, SAISD board President Christina Martinez said Jaklich’s pause of the district’s requirement was made temporary partly to assess community response, but few members of the public voiced their concerns at Monday’s meeting. Alejandra Lopez, president of the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel, spoke in favor of a continued requirement.
“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our union has been resolute in our commitment to ensuring that our schools are as safe as possible for our students and staff,” Lopez said. “In August I stood before you to commend the bold leadership of this board by defying (Gov. Abbott’s) ban. I hope the board will continue in that same bold vein and reinstate the mask mandate. … The COVID-19 pandemic is not over.”