Round Rock school board votes to extend mask mandate

ROUND ROCK — The Round Rock school board voted Wednesday night to extend the district's mask mandate. The motion was passed on a 5-2 vote, with Trustees Danielle Weston and Mary Bone voting against. 

The board also gave Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez the ability to change the district's mask requirement due to any legal action.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued several public school districts over mask requirements, including Round Rock, arguing that an executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott grants individuals immunity from such requirements. But a state appeals court blocked a temporary order from a state district judge that had prevented Round Rock from requiring masks on campus. 

"It is a daily saga, truly it is," said Trustee Cory Vessa. "Every single day things change, and it is going through the courts one level at a time so it's just going to take time for this to work out." 

Under the district's updated mask protocol, students, faculty and visitors will still be required to wear masks on buses and while inside school buildings when 6 feet of distance cannot be maintained. Students and staff will still have the option of removing their masks while seated in cafeterias, staff lunchrooms and outdoors. 

Masks also may be removed for activities during athletics, physical education and fine art classes if deemed appropriate by a coach, instructor or director. 

The district's mask mandate had expired Sept. 17 and was scheduled for discussion and potential action during a Sept. 14 meeting, but the vote was postponed because of disruptions at the meeting over the limited seating due to COVID-19 safety protocols.

The board on Wednesday night also had been set to discuss whether to censure Bone and Weston. However, those two trustees filed for a temporary restraining order against the other board members, which was granted before the meeting Wednesday night. 

The temporary restraining order prevented the other board members from publicly or privately censuring Bone and Weston at the meeting.

Some students and parents spoke out against the school board, accusing it of censoring its members.

"I will never mind diverse opinions of anybody, but with censorship, that doesn't really allow that," said Emma Ray, a student in the district. "With diverse opinions, it means you're representing every student no matter what they believe. But if you have a censorship of certain members, that means I personally am not being represented." 

Others spoke in favor of measures to censure Bone and Weston.

"Their disregard for the safety of those around them draws stark question of their ability to make decisions about the health and safety of our students, staff and community," said Ben Sterling, president of the teacher's union Education Round Rock. 

RELATED: Texas appeals court allows Round Rock school district's mask mandate to continue

The temporary restraining order is in effect for 14 days and can be extended.

Abbott has issued executive orders prohibiting agencies and other entities that receive public funding in Texas from enacting mask requirements. But nearly 100 districts across the state, including Round Rock, have imposed mask mandates in violation of those rules, according to a list maintained by Paxton's office.

Abbott has encouraged wearing masks, but he has emphasized that it should be a personal decision. Health experts, however, say universal mask wearing is one of the best ways to curb the spread of the coronavirus, especially among unvaccinated people. Children younger than 12 are not eligible to be vaccinated.