Several large school districts in the state are issuing mask requirements in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott's order banning mask mandates.
Case numbers and the number of hospital patients with COVID-19 have continued to surge, igniting debate about approaches to school reopenings. Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin ISDs have been some of the districts who have pushed back against Abbott鈥檚 order. On Tuesday, judges issued a temporary orders allowing Dallas County, Bexar County and the City of San Antonio to enforce mask mandates for local schools.
Public School
Crystal Martinez has two children enrolled in pre-k and Kindergarten at Forney ISD, which is not requiring masks. She said she鈥檚 conflicted about sending her children back to school and hopes Forney will follow Dallas ISD鈥檚 mask mandate.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just anxious and overwhelmed,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淚 question our decision to send our kids to school just because the numbers keep going up and I see that there are more pediatric hospitalizations, which worries me as my kids are 5, 4 and 2 so they don鈥檛 have a vaccination for them and we really don鈥檛 know when to expect it.鈥�
Desoto ISD parent Dane鈥檒e Dupree is also uneasy about the new school year. She has two children, one starting pre-K and the other starting second grade.
Dupree said the district isn鈥檛 requiring masks, but she hopes that鈥檒l change. The mother of two is also worried about schools not being required to report cases.
鈥淚鈥檓 a little nervous about the start of school only because of the mask situation and I鈥檓 hearing that contact tracing and reporting of COVID will not have to be reported to the parents, so that鈥檚 definitely a big concern for me this school year,鈥� she said.
Alicia Casey said she鈥檚 frustrated about Carrollton-Farmer鈥檚 Brach ISD鈥檚 decision not to require masks. She has three children in 5th grade, second grade and kindergarten.
On Tuesday, the first day of school, she saw a mix of children who were and weren鈥檛 wearing masks.
鈥淚 feel that masks should have been required for all safety,鈥� she said. 鈥淓veryone wore masks last school year and I felt that even though it was annoying our kids handled it better than the adults.鈥�
She said she鈥檚 worried there鈥檒l be a rise in COVID-19 again, but this time there鈥檚 no funding for virtual education. Casey said she鈥檚 concerned that children who might need to be quarantined will miss out on their education.
Richardson ISD parent Linda Guerrero said she鈥檚 uncertain whether she鈥檒l send her second grader to in-person school or go virtual. Since the school district isn鈥檛 requiring masks, she鈥檚 waiting to see whether people wear masks at an upcoming meet-the-teacher event.
鈥�I have a feeling it鈥檚 going to be horrible 鈥� most likely we will go virtual,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a horrible policy. I wish there was a mask mandate to at least protect my children, especially since I have two younger ones at home.鈥�
As an attorney, Guerrero said the last year of homeschooling her daughter was difficult.
鈥淚 feel like she鈥檚 going to continue to be behind or get behind because I am not trained as a teacher,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 terrified, therefore her health to me is more important because I feel like she can eventually catch up. But I just think it鈥檚 unfair and things are not being done to protect the little ones, especially since there鈥檚 not a vaccine.鈥�
Private School
Private schools are exempt from Gov. Abbott鈥檚 order banning mask mandates. Michelle Young sends her first grader to St. Phillip & St. Augustine Catholic Academy in Dallas.
When Young first heard that masks would be required, she said she was disappointed.
鈥淚 actually support masking,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was just disappointed because I did want my daughter to have a normal school year and I was hoping that we could have return to that for first grade since pre-k was disrupted and kinder was fully masked last year.鈥�
However, given the highly contagious delta variant, she said she鈥檚 ok with the policy. But Young鈥檚 committed to sending her daughter to in-person school for her social and educational well-being.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important that she鈥檚 in school and because she鈥檚 in a private school, they have very small classrooms. So if a mask is needed for her to be there, I will fully support that.鈥�
Given the way the academy carefully handled the last year of in-person school, Young said she didn鈥檛 feel any hesitation about sending her daughter back.
Parent Emily Perlmeter sends her preschooler to the Alcuin School, a private montessori school in Dallas. She said she鈥檚 happy with the school鈥檚 decision to require masks.
鈥�I feel great that the school system that my daughter is entering is prioritizing her health and safety and the health and safety of those who may be immunocompromised in the community,鈥� she said.
Overall, Perlmeter said she鈥檚 鈥渇rustrated and disheartened鈥� by the lack of progress over the past year and a half in protecting children.
鈥淣ow we have a vaccine but our kids are more at risk than they otherwise could have been just because too many adults don鈥檛 seem to believe the science and because of policymakers who prioritize the feelings of those adults,鈥� she said.
Perlmeter said it鈥檚 scary being a parent and worrying her child might face severe complications or hospitalization due to COVID-19. She said all she can do is 鈥渃ross her fingers鈥� and trust the adults that are taking care of her child.
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