Dallas Independent School District will end its mask mandate next month after MLK day.
Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa announced on Friday that the district would make masks optional for students and staff starting mid-January after MLK day.
“On MLK Day, we would have been through two holidays. We would have been through this new variant. We will know exactly where we are,” Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa said the decision was made following the decrease in coronavirus cases in Dallas County and the recent availability of vaccines for young children.
Dallas county has reported an increase in the demand for vaccinations following the emergence of the Omicron variant of the virus.
The school district did not follow Gov. Greg Abbott’s directives that banned mask mandates by government organizations and entities receiving funding from the state. Parents will now decide if they want their children to wear masks or not.