No More Masks In Schools In June – What Do El Paso School District Employees Say About That?

We've all been living and dealing with masks for over a year now because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that include our children. Now that there we have the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines there has been a gradual easing of restrictions about gathering in groups, businesses reopening, and getting back "normal" in general. One of the things that has been sticking around is the mask requirement. Most businesses are still requiring you to wear them especially restaurants unless you are eating or drinking. Big name stores like Target, Walmart, and Costco have gone to leaving it up to the customer but yesterday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott made a big move toward the entire state going maskless.

He announced that Texas governmental entities can no longer require people to wear face masks. That includes counties, cities and school districts. There are still some governmental places that can require face masks. You can read about them here. School districts in El Paso and the rest of the state are allowed to require mask wearing until June 4, but after that, they can't require anyone to wear one inside of their buildings.

El Paso school districts have begun weighing in on the mask requirement being dropped. A local teacher's union president wondered who Abbott is working for and said he isn't working for the children of Texas by dropping the mask requirement in schools. The city's largest school district, the El Paso Independent School District, says that they are waiting on word from the Texas Education Agency about Abbott's move.

I have three grandchildren in school in Austin and San Antonio and I'm very glad that their parents have decided to continue having them wear their masks. I know there are people who think that masks are pointless and not wearing them is their right just like it is my right to wear mine. I just hope that this doesn't lead to kids being harassed at school for wearing a mask, but it probably will. What a shame that we can't just let people do what they are going to do without either side getting upset about it.