Longview ISD to lift mask mandate Nov. 20

Published 6:31 pm Monday, November 8, 2021

Longview will lift its mask mandate next week due to an ongoing decline in COVID-19 cases in the district.

The district said in a news release that on Nov. 20, it will no longer require students, staff and visitors to wear face coverings at district facilities or events.

Superintendent James Wilcox said the decision was based on the data and facts available to the district, according to the statement.

“We have been monitoring cases and recoveries in Longview from the very beginning of this pandemic to today, and we will continue to do so,” he said. “Just as we issued the mandate (in August) because of the dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases, we are removing the mandate today because the evidence shows that we have successfully beaten this back in our community.”

Longview ISD issued a mask mandate for its campuses effective Aug. 23 as the number of COVID-19 cases in students and staff began to rise after school began. As of Monday, the district reported 18 active cases in students and staff, with a total of 512 cases since the start of the school year.

According to data presented at tonight’s Board of Trustees meeting, there were 13 active student cases Monday and five active staff cases. The district reported 78 % of the teachers and staff at the district are vaccinated.

“The feeling of the district leadership is that the preventative measures being taken by our staff, students, and families have proven extremely effective in reducing the spread of COVID-10 in the community,” Wilcox said. “It’s a huge testament to the wonderful people in this district that have helped make this possible.”

Wilcox said the administration will continue to monitor cases in the district throughout the holiday season.

“While this latest development is certainly encouraging, we will remain vigilant in making data-based decisions for the children and employees in our care,” he said.

All COVID-related protocols are subject to change as directives are provided by governing authorities and health officials or as circumstances evolve, the district said.

The mandate and others like it across the state have become the target of lawsuits by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

The AG’s office sued Longview ISD in September, seeking a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction to stop the district from enforcing its mask mandate.

The lawsuit argues that Gov. Greg Abbott had issued an executive order that bars school districts from issuing mask requirements. The lawsuit against Longview ISD is one of a number of similar lawsuits the AG’s office filed against multiple Texas school districts that also issued mask mandates.

During the second part of a virtual hearing Oct. 20 in front of County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Vincent Dulweber, school district attorneys continued to argue that Wilcox had the authority to issue the mandate in August under the Texas Education Code and was fulfilling his leadership duties.

This story will be updated.