Spring ISD will 'comply with the order' to stop requiring masks for students after June 4

Houston Daily recently reached out to Sylvia Wood, chief communications officer of Spring Independent School District (ISD) to inquire if the school district would stop requiring masks in accordance with the governor's latest executive order.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently issued an executive order prohibiting Texas schools from requiring students, staff and faculty to wear masks after Friday, June 4.

"Spring ISD is aware of Gov. Abbott’s executive order prohibiting public schools from mandating masks after June 4," Wood told Houston Daily. "While complying with the order, we will also continue to encourage our community to take steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19, including getting vaccinated if 12 and older."

The governor's decision was likely influenced by a recent announcement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declaring that fully Americans could participate in most activities without a mask and plunging rates of COVID rates across the state. The State of Texas recently reported zero COVID-related deaths for the first time in over a year, according to ABC 13 News.

Despite the numbers, Wood advised that those who have not been vaccinated or have underlying health conditions should continue to wear masks.

"We also remind everyone that masks may still be worn by anyone who chooses, so we encourage our families to consider a mask if they have not been vaccinated and/or have an underlying health condition that puts them at higher risk from COVID-19," Wood told Houston Daily. "Our goal is to create a safe and welcoming environment while urging everyone to make decisions to protect themselves and their families. Let’s continue to work together to mitigate the spread of COVID-19."

Abbott's very first mask mandate order was peculiar and round-a-bout. According to Texas Monthly, he began by prohibiting counties from mandating masks, but then hinted that there was a loophole for counties to skirt his order. Counties ended up doing just that and mandated businesses to require masks. 

Abbott eventually instituted a bona fide mask mandate in July of 2020, requiring virtually all Texans to wear a mask in public spaces.

In March of 2021, Abbott lifted the statewide mask mandate and nominally prevented local governments from instituting their own mandates. However, several municipalities ignored him and stuck by their mandates.

Abbott's actions have often been contrasted with those of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The latter rescinded all meaningful COVID restrictions, including mask requirements all the way back in the Fall of 2020. DeSantis did technically allow localities to mandate masks, but he neutered their ability to enforce any orders, NPR News reported. 

A recent order from DeSantis conflicts with Abbott's approach. The Florida governor was the first to ban local government from mandating masks, beating his Texas counterpart by over two weeks. However, DeSantis' order did not apply to public schools, whereas the Texas governor's order explicitly did, according to Tampa Bay Times.