SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio ISD is among the remaining local school districts requiring masks to be worn inside. But the COVID-19 safety measure could soon be lifted depending on multiple factors, including results from an SAISD community survey.
“We’ve had the mask mandate really throughout the pandemic. Our employees and our parents and students know that safety has been a priority for us,” said Toni Thompson, SAISD’s associate superintendent of human capital management.
According to Metro Health, Bexar County’s coronavirus risk level is considered "mild," the second-lowest threshold, as cases continue to decrease.
Thompson, who oversees the district’s COVID-mitigation efforts, noted the district didn't experience a significant spike in coronavirus cases upon returning from spring break a week ago.
“Things are much more under control, especially in the area and the county than they had been,” Thompson said.
More than 9,000 people completed SAISD’s online COVID response survey, which asked questions dealing with the mask mandate.
The survey was pushed out last week when students and staff returned from spring break. As of noon on Monday, the survey is no longer available.
“Based on science and data, some of those protocols are changing around the country and certainly in the state. We wanted to know how our constituents felt about potentially changing the requirement and making it optional,” Thompson said.
Alejandra Lopez, president of the San Antonio Alliance workers union, expressed worry about the latest COVID-19 surge in Europe and its potential impact stateside. She also applauded the union’s efforts working with SAISD and city health officials in promoting firm safety measures during the pandemic.
Lopez said she believes the mask mandate should stay in place for the time being while community data is assessed to determine otherwise.
“Masking is one of the most straightforward, simplest ways to keep our communities safe from COVID,” Lopez said.
The results of the mask mandate survey will be presented and reviewed during Monday evening’s Board of Trustees meeting.
The district's firm rule on face coverings prompted legal pushback from Gov. Greg Abbott, who implemented a state ban on mask mandates last July.
South San Antonio ISD is also discussing the possibility of lifting its mask requirement.