AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Eanes Independent School District says masks will be required for students, staff and visitors, due to a temporary restraining order being granted against Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on local mandates.
Travis County District Court Judge Jan Soifer granted that temporary restraining order lasting for 10 days on Friday. It blocks Abbott’s executive order which prohibits local officials and school districts from requiring face coverings. That means the local orders and school district mask mandates in the city of Austin and Travis County are allowed to continue for now.
According to Eanes ISD, the final court order hasn’t been issued or sent to them yet, but the district said masks will be required for students, staff and visitors on district campuses and facilities.
“In anticipation of a Court Order, masks will be required for students, staff and visitors when attending Eanes ISD, in accordance with the current Travis County mask order.”
Eanes ISD spokesperson
Eanes ISD was just one of the three Travis County school districts represented in a lawsuit against Abbott by a local parent, which is why the issue was brought to Travis County District Court. The Pflugerville Independent School District and the Manor Independent School District were the two others.
Three parents from those three school systems signed onto the lawsuit along with La Joya Independent School District in south Texas to fight Abbott’s ban.
Manor ISD has agreed to a mask mandate effective Monday, but Pflugerville ISD has not said if it will implement one yet. Pflugerville ISD had its first day of school on Thursday with no face covering requirement in place, which defied local city and county orders mandating masks in public schools.
In Travis County, the Austin and Del Valle Independent School Districts and IDEA Public Schools have also issued mask mandates.