HPISD: Masks To Be Optional Next School Year
Masks will be optional at Highland Park ISD campuses and facilities beginning next school year, the district shared in a letter to parents Tuesday.
HPISD Superintendent Dr. Tom Trigg said in the letter that the decision was made as more teachers and staff in the district get vaccinated for COVID-19 and cases have fallen in the district and have plateaued at a lower level in the county.
“Our staff and students have shown tremendous resilience throughout the pandemic by continuing to teach and learn at the highest levels despite a very challenging situation for us all. None of us will ever forget this year,” Trigg wrote. “I am very encouraged that, as part of our collective efforts as a community, state and country, we appear to be turning a corner in terms of public health.”
Nearly since the district opened for in-person learning last September, parents have spoken at school board meetings calling for a plan to do away with masks in the classroom and return to a pre-pandemic normal, while trustees have said district staff felt masks were helping to keep them safe.
HPISD trustee Tom Sharpe indicated in April’s school board meeting that the 2021-2022 school year would likely look more normal.
