The superintendent of Dallas ISD is requiring students, teachers, staff and volunteers to start wearing masks on campuses across the city Tuesday. Michael Hinojosa says he is responding to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
At the end of the last school year on June 18, Hinojosa says Dallas County reported just 108 cases of COVID-19. Last Friday, the county reported 820. UT Southwestern's forecast predicts an average of 2,000 cases per day later this month.
"As the superintendent of the second largest district in Texas, I'm responsible for everything, most importantly the safety of our students and staff and families," Hinojosa says.
Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order forbidding local governments and school districts from requiring masks last month. Hinojosa says he consulted with the district's legal staff before issuing his own requirement.
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"We're in a situation that has gotten significantly more urgent," he says. "I think I have the authority, and so do the attorneys think I have the authority. However, I'm also going to tell you this is fluid."
Hinojosa was referring to a lawsuit filed Sunday night by the Southern Center for Child Advocacy challenging Abbott's order. The group says its lawsuit aims to restore the ability to order masks to local organizations.
Abbott's executive order reads, "No governmental entity, including a county, city, school district, and public health authority, and no governmental official may require any person to wear a face covering or to mandate that another person wear a face covering."
Abbott writes, the order "shall supersede any face-covering requirement imposed by any local governmental entity or official."
The order says "failure to comply" can result in a $1,000 fine. Hinojosa says his legal staff pointed out the threat of a fine does not specify whether the fine would apply to the district, each school or each case of a student being told to wear a mask.
"The executive order is very loose, according to our attorney," he says. "But I'd rather face that consequence of having to pay some money than get further behind with these students."
Austin ISD's board of trustees called a special meeting Monday to consider a mask requirement. The superintendent of Houston ISD has proposed a mask order as well, which will go before the school board there.
Hinojosa says he needed to act immediately instead of waiting for the school board to act. The requirement takes effect Tuesday, but he says most students and staff have already been wearing masks.
When he toured one campus Monday, he said he estimates "95%, maybe 98% of kids had a mask on; 99% of the adults had a mask on."
Hinojosa says he will work with the school board on a different plan to provide incentives for people who get vaccinated.
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