AUSTIN, Texas — “As the Superintendent of Austin, TX, schools I have mandated that our kids must be masked when they start school on Tuesday. Requiring masks is not and never has been about defying the Governor. This is about having local control to respond to the data about our local conditions, which have become dire.”

That’s how Austin Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde opened a piece in TIME Magazine published Sunday that outlines her reasons for defying Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive orders and requiring mask usage in classrooms and school facilities.

What You Need To Know

  • Along with several other large school districts in Texas, Austin ISD is requiring masks in classrooms and in facilities 

  • The mask requirement is in violation of Gov. Greg Abbott's executive orders forbidding such mandates 

  • Austin ISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde explained her reasons for enacting the mandate in a piece published by TIME Magazine Sunday

  • Austin ISD students returned to in-person learning on Tuesday, Aug. 17

Gov. Abbott’s orders banning agencies that receive state dollars from putting mask mandates into effect has been challenged by numerous Texas cities and counties, as well as school districts. In addition to Austin ISD, Houston ISD and Dallas ISD have mandates in place.

Abbott scored a victory Sunday when the Texas Supreme Court sided with him, issuing stay orders forbidding Bexar County and Dallas Country from enforcing mask mandates. Austin ISD is pushing forward with its mandate, however.

"After the July 4th break, we began seeing the numbers of COVID-19 cases climbing in Austin as the Delta Variant took over. Recently, the situation began escalating quickly on a daily basis to the point that recently I was told that on some days we have had only one pediatric ICU bed available in the entire Austin region,” Dr. Elizalde wrote in the piece, titled Why I’m Mandating That Austin Schools Must Be Masked When School Starts. “That’s why, with around 75,000 children returning to school on Tuesday, I decided to temporarily return to requiring masks despite the governor’s prohibition.

According to the results of an exclusive Spectrum News/Ipsos poll released this week, most Texans are in agreement with Dr. Elizalde.

The poll shows Texans generally disapprove of Abbott’s handling of COVID-19, and when it comes to certain proposals around COVID-19 and back to school, the public is also misaligned with the governor. For example, only 17% of all Texans, and 22% of parents with a school-aged child, believe students who test positive for COVID-19 should not have to quarantine. In another example of Texans disagreeing with Abbott’s orders, nine in 10 believe schools should be required to notify parents if a child or teacher tests positive — regardless of whether it’s in their classroom (92% support) or in the school as a whole (89% support).

“But let’s be clear that this is not meant as an act of political resistance or activism. I do not enjoy defying a governor’s order. As educators, we’re rule followers. That’s what we do as classroom teachers. We create expectations of behaviors and academic outcomes,” Dr. Elizalde wrote.

Austin ISD students returned to the classroom on Tuesday, Aug. 17.

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