PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — Editor's note: Pflugerville ISD Superintendent Doug Killian said the school district will require masks starting Monday, Aug. 16, in line with a district judge's temporary restraining order against Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order, allowing Travis County's mask mandate to proceed. Keep up with school district updates here.
Students at Pflugerville ISD (PfISD) wrapped up their first day in the classroom on Thursday.
But unlike many other districts in the county, PfISD parents still get to decide if students wear masks.
"At this time, Pflugerville ISD will not mandate masks, but we will highly encourage them, along with vaccinations, to curb this pandemic and protect our staff and students," said PfISD Superintendent Doug Killian. "This decision is not because I don’t believe masks will make a difference. I think they will, and I have advocated for the use since day one and continue to do so."
Killian said that parents will have the option to send the children to school with or without a mask. He also said that due to Gov. Greg Abbott’s order GA-38, the City of Austin and Travis County's joint mask order may be without authority.
"We cannot evict students or deny them entry based on their compliance with a district mask mandate, particularly as we do not have a state-funded virtual learning platform available to those who would not comply," said Killian. "I don’t want parents to hear that we will have a mask mandate and then find out that some students refuse to wear it based on their parents’ opinions."
Killian said that instead of focusing on the "politics of the situation," PfISD schools will work to ensure student safety through means within their control. He said PfISD schools will continue to encourage masking, have installed hand sanitizing stations throughout campuses and will encourage physical distancing of students in all areas.
Staff and students are also encouraged to self-screen for the virus before arriving on campus.
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