Second large Texas school district defies governor and requires mask

The Austin Independent School District announced that it will require masks for students and staff members, a local Austin NPR station reported.

Austin ISD superintendent Stephanie Elizadale shared the new mandate during a school board meeting on Monday, saying that the requirement will go into effect on Wednesday. 

Elizadale also said during the meeting that she knows people will not be happy with this new measure, adding that she is responsible for her school’s district safety for both students and staff members, according to the Austin NPR affiliate. 

“That being said, I am responsible for the safety, the health and the welfare of each and every one of our students and our staff,” she said. “If I err, I must err on the side of ensuring that we have been overly cautious, not that we have fallen short.”

Austin ISD joins the Dallas Independent School District in implementing a mask mandate for its schools, defying state government orders. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in May signed an order that states no government institutions or school districts are allowed to have a mask mandate, the NPR affiliate reported. 

The new debate over reinstating mask mandates comes as the country is seeing a wave of new COVID-19 infections, with the highly contagious delta variant leading the charge and hitting unvaccinated people the hardest. 

The Hill has reached out to Abbott’s office for comment.