EDCOUCH— Trustees of the Edcouch-Elsa Independent School District voted to take legal action against Gov. Greg Abbott over his executive order banning mask mandates in an emergency meeting Thursday evening.
The board voted to approve a resolution asking the governor to allow mask mandates and to authorize fully funding virtual instruction as needed, and authorized a suit against Abbott and the state over not being able to make health and safety decisions at a local level.
An increasing number of entities across the state and the Rio Grande Valley took similar action this week.
Abbott pledged to take legal action against any entities that defied the mask mandate ban Wednesday.
“With the cases rising here in Hidalgo, and many of them are pediatrics, we have a big concern over our students and our staff,” Trustee Robert Schmalzried said after the meeting.
According to Schmalzried, a vast majority of parents in the district are in favor of the mask mandate. He said much of the concern is over children too young to be vaccinated.
“I’m a father of three, I have two in the school district, and I’m worried,” Schmalzried said.
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