On March 2, 2021, Governor Abbott announced that effective March 10, 2021, he would be rescinding the mask mandate set forth in his prior Executive Order GA-29 and declared Texas to be open 100%. Subsequently, today, the Texas Education Agency (“TEA”) updated its Public Health Guidance in which they determined the prior operational requirements for school districts, including mask requirements, are still in effect and unchanged. The public health guidance from TEA states “The governing board of a school system may modify or eliminate by formal action the above mask-related requirements.” This was reiterated in a public announcement, where TEA stated “local school boards have full authority to determine their local mask policy.”  TEA’s public health guidance may be found online at: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/covid/SY-20-21-Public-Health-Guidance.pdf

Additionally, President Biden recently announced he has directed all states to prioritize vaccinations for pre-K through 12th grade school staff.  In light of President Biden’s directive, today, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services announced individuals who work in school and child care operations, which include teachers, staff, and bus drivers, are eligible for the vaccine. The announcement from the Texas Department of State Health Services (“DSHS”) as well as other information regarding the vaccine for coronavirus is available online at: https://dshs.texas.gov/news/releases/2021/20210303.aspx

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