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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Several local organizations, students and their parents will join together Wednesday morning to call upon Houston ISD and other local districts to require masks in schools.
Representatives from the Houston Federation of Teachers and the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation will join U.S. Representative Al Green in a press conference at 10:30 a.m.
“The CDC, local and state public health officials, and the entire medical community have made it clear: mask mandates help keep our kids, our co-workers, and our communities safe,” the representatives said in a release. “But instead of listening to public health experts, Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency are playing politics with our children’s lives and blocking districts from taking common-sense measures to keep kids safe.”
The statement is referring to Abbott’s executive order that says “no government entity, including a county, city, school district and public health authority” and “any public or private entity that is receiving or will receive public funds” can enforce mask or vaccine mandates. Offenses could lead to fines up to $1,000. Private businesses, however, still have the right to require customers and employees to wear masks.
Despite the order, school districts across the state have announced newly instated mask mandates, including Austin ISD, Dallas ISD, Spring ISD and more.
HISD Superintendent Millard House has proposed a mask mandate for all students, staff and visitors at all schools, buses and facilities. However, the mandate will not become effective until it is approved by the Board of Education. They are expected to vote on the mandate Thursday.
Ahead of Wednesday’s press conference, unions representing tens of thousands of teachers and support staff from across the Gulf Coast issued a joint letter to area school district trustees and superintendents calling on them to follow public health guidance and immediately issue mandates.