Granbury to keep masks; Tolar, Lipan bans are lifted

HOOD COUNTY SCHOOLS

Granbury to keep masks;

Tolar, Lipan bans are lifted

Governor’s lifting of mandate opened door for school districts to decide

BY ROGER ENLOW

Editor

The emotionally charged issue of wearing masks in schools to help limit the spread of COVID-19 was settled by the Granbury School Board Monday night.

Trustees voted 4-3 to keep the mask requirements through the end of the school year (May 20).

Hood County’s two other public school districts, Lipan and Tolar, have lifted the mask requirements.

The school board decisions come after Gov. Greg Abbott announced the end of the statewide mask mandate. The Texas Education Agency provided an option for school boards to pass a resolution to remove the mask mandate.

Schools have required face coverings since the start of the school year, in line with the governor’s previous mandate and federal health guidelines.

Longtime Granbury school trustee Barbara Herrington, in making the motion to keep the mask mandate, said she’s always voted for what’s best for students and this vote was no exception. She said keeping students safe should be the school board’s top priority.

Mike Moore, Nancy Alana and Barbara Townsend joined Herrington in voting to keep the mask requirements. Chris Willis, Mark Jackson and Paula McDonald voted against.

The board did decide to lift the mask requirements for outside activities. In buses, however, students will still be required to wear masks.

Willis disagrees with the mask mandate, pointing out that Americans have the freedom to choose what they think is best for them.

McDonald said that the human body can ward off many illnesses and doubts that masks are beneficial.

“Our bodies are not designed to breath our own CO2,” she said.

An online GISD survey revealed an overwhelming majority favored making masks optional.

At the board meeting, however, the majority of speakers favored keeping the mandate.

The number of students favoring masks impressed trustee Alana. She said the students’ comments helped make her decision.

“Let’s finish what we started,” she said.

Board president Mark Jackson favors the masks but wanted the mandate lifted before the end of the year.

However, he remarked, “What we’ve done for the last seven months has worked.”

Parent Courtney Gore told the board that parents, not the school, should be the ones deciding these type of issues. Another parent, Matt McKenzie, said to trustees, “I don’t know where you get off telling my kids they have to wear masks.”

Several parents and students, including class of ’21 valedictorian Jonahan Rositas, spoke in favor of keeping the masks.

Lu Johns De LeGarza, captain of the Stowaways drill team, echoed others when she said she doesn’t like to wear a mask but does it anyway because it’s the right thing to do.

GHS teacher Cindy Jackson believes that masks have done their job. Her students are able to participate in class and labs without worrying too much about COVID.

“It’s just now starting to feel more normal,” she said.

It was pointed out at the meeting that about 40 percent of the GISD staff have received COVID-19 vaccines. The public vaccination effort continues at the GISD administration building.

TOLAR MASKS OPTIONAL

The Tolar School Board passed a resolution to make masks optional on all campuses “after much discussion and deliberation,” according to the Tolar ISD Facebook page.

Tolar students/employees who test positive for COVID-19 or show symptoms will still be required to quarantine per local guidelines. Quarantine requirements based on possible exposure will now be the responsibility of the parents.

Tolar trustees changed the responsibility of determining and enforcing quarantine rules based on exposure from school personnel to that of the parents.

“Tolar ISD will continue to communicate with parents when there is a positive case confirmed on a campus. From there, it will be the responsibility of parents to monitor and assess their child for symptoms of COVID-19,” according to the TISD Facebook page.

MASKS ALSO OPTIONAL

IN LIPAN

The Lipan School Board decided that masks will be optional for all students, staff and visitors on all campus facilities and school buses.

“We will still practice social distancing and we will continue to disinfect as we have done all year,” according to Lipan ISD. “Likewise, we encourage our students and staff to use hand sanitizer and continue to practice COVID safety protocols.

“Please continue to screen your children and do not send students to school if they are sick, have been exposed or if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. Our COVID-19 task force will meet after spring break to amend our COVID-19 protocols including quarantine procedures.”

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