The outgoing superintendent of Dallas Independent School District, Michael Hinojosa, announced on February 17 that the school district would no longer require a mask mandate from students and staff by the end of February.
According to The Dallas Morning News, Hinojosa announced during the district’s monthly board briefing saying the ISD will make masks “recommended” starting February 28.
Hinojosa stated that Dallas ISD will send out a formal announcement addressing all the policy details before the end of February. Hinojosa also revealed that the district would look at its other protocols regarding COVID-19 to see if they require further adjustments.
Trustee Dustin Marshall, who thanked Hinojosa for making the decision, said it is time for the district to get things back to normal.
“We’ve been prudent and thoughtful about protecting our students and our staff members’ health. But I think it’s time,” Marshall said.
However, Hinojosa revealed that the district could go back to its mask mandate if COVID-19 cases go up again in Dallas County.
“If the data turns around and tells us that we need to go back to a protocol that requires us to wear masks, we will not hesitate to do that,” Hinojosa said, according to the Dallas Morning News.
According to The Dallas Express, the district had previously announced in December 2021 that it would make masks optional for students and staff starting mid-January after MLK day.
At the time, Hinojosa said the decision was made because of the decrease in COVID cases in Dallas County and the availability of vaccines for young children. However, the district was forced to push the date back as the Omicron variant of the virus wreaked havoc in the county.
