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Arlington ISD, one of North Texas’ largest school districts, may soon join the legal battle against the state over mask mandates.
Arlington officials are considering legal action against Gov. Greg Abbott over an executive order that prohibits governmental entities — including school districts — from requiring masks as students return to school and COVID-19 cases are spiking across the state. The board will vote on the potential lawsuit at an Aug. 19 meeting.
The same day Arlington announced its potential lawsuit, Fort Worth ISD officials said they would reverse course on their own mandate after a judge granted a temporary restraining order, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“We believe Tuesday’s announcement regarding masks for students, employees, and visitors to our campuses was the right thing to do,” a district statement said. “However, we will certainly honor today’s court order blocking the mask requirement.”
Fort Worth ISD continues to recommend all students, staff and visitors keep wearing masks.
If Arlington sues and enacts a mask requirement, the district will join the remaining other school systems throughout the state in bucking the governor’s order. Dallas ISD announced on Monday that it would require masks and a new order issued by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins extended a mask requirement to all public schools within the county.
All but one of Dallas County’s school districts have announced they will comply with Jenkins’ mandate. Sunnyvale ISD has yet to announce if they’ll enforce face coverings.
“We are advocating to put the decision to mandate masks back into the hands of our district,” Arlington board president Kecia Mays said in a statement. “We are in a community with a high rate of COVID-19. The positivity rate is over 22%. No ICU beds are available for pediatric patients.”
There are no available ICU beds for children in the North Texas region, the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council announced Thursday.
Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have already vowed to bring legal action against any school systems that violate the governor’s order and have filed a petition to block Jenkins’ action.
The first day of school in Arlington is Monday and Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos has urged all students and staff to wear a mask when they go on campus.
Trustees will also consider approving a virtual option for students in pre-K through sixth grade at their meeting next week.