Over the past two weeks, a growing number of school districts, cities, and counties began issuing their own local mask mandates. These mandates are in defiance of an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott expressly prohibiting them.
The issue has since been tied up in state courts. On Sunday, the Supreme Court of Texas issued a stay order on the temporary restraining orders, effectively keeping Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in place until the case is formally decided.
But districts have largely ignored the order and instead await a final decision from the court, which could take several weeks.
Though the state Legislature had the opportunity to put an official ban on mask mandates from local officials into law, the Texas House voted down such a proposal earlier this year.
On Wednesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a list of what his office refers to as “Government Entities Unlawfully Imposing Mask Mandates.”
The following is the list provided by the Texas Attorney General’s Office:
Aldine ISD *
Austin ISD *
Basis Texas
Bexar County
Brownsville ISD *
Cameron County
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD *
Cedar Hill ISD ^
Coppell ISD ^
Crowley ISD *
Dallas County
Dallas ISD
Del Valle ISD *
DeSoto ISD *
Donna ISD *
Dripping Springs ISD^
Eanes ISD
Eagle Pass ISD
Edcouch-Elsa ISD *
Edgewood ISD *
Edinburg CISD *
El Paso ISD *
Elgin ISD *
Fort Bend ISD ^
Fort Sam Houston ISD *
Fort Worth ISD ^
Galena Park ISD *
Galveston ISD *
Grand Prairie ISD ^
Harlandale ISD
Harris County
Hays County
Hidalgo County
Highland Park ISD
Houston ISD *
Huffman ISD *
IDEA Public Schools
Judson ISD ^
Killeen ISD ^
La Joya ISD *
Lackland ISD *
Laredo ISD *
Lasara ISD *
Leander ISD *
Manor ISD *
McAllen ISD *
Mesquite ISD *
North East ISD
Nueces County ^
Paris ISD *
Pflugerville ISD *
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD *
Randolph Fields ISD
Richardson ISD *
Round Rock ISD *
San Antonio ISD *
San Benito ISD *
San Marcos ISD *
Sheldon ISD
Spring ISD *
Travis County
United ISD *
Vanguard Academy
West Oslo ISD *
* Indicates currently not in compliance; letter sent by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
^ Previously noncompliant; reportedly now in compliance.
