Austin ISD school board to discuss mask policy at special board meeting

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin ISD still has a mask mandate in place, it's been that way since August. Many parents have spoken out against this, hoping the district will make masks optional as soon as possible.

But come Wednesday, things could change after recent guidance changes from the CDC.

"We are going to be hearing an update from our board of trustees to figure out what that means for Austin ISD and if it's possible to go mask optional," said Cristina Nguyen, media relations manager, Austin ISD.

The AISD Board of Trustees called the special meeting in response to the updated CDC guidelines, and they will talk about aligning protocols with the CDC. Nguyen said things look very different compared to last August.

"We were in a very different place back then. We had vaccines that were not available to all of our students, only 12 and up. It's time to look at our protocols and see if that is still needed," said Nguyen.

Nguyen said the district has seen a 97 percent decrease in COVID-19 cases in the last six weeks. She has heard from both sides of the mask mandate, but said the trustees will weigh the science and data.

"We definitely respect the choice for families to do what's best for their child, and we do have to listen to guidance to figure out how we can make that work in the district," said Nguyen.

The mask mandate is still in place as of right now. If masks do become optional, that will mean parents can decide if their child wears one to school or not, but Nguyen said other COVID-19 protocols such as testing will remain in place.

___
MORE HEADLINES:
New CDC mask guidance says many healthy Americans can finally unmask
Mask mandate dropped in Round Rock Independent School District

___
DOWNLOAD: FOX 7 AUSTIN NEWS APP
SUBSCRIBE: Daily Newsletter | YouTube
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter