Richardson ISD keeping mask mandate in place at its schools for now

article

RICHARDSON, Texas - Richardson ISD is keeping its mask mandate in place for all of its pre-k through 12th grade schools.

Starting January 10, for the following three weeks, masks will be required for anyone inside Richardson ISD schools.

The district said it will re-assess at the end of the month and decide whether to stop or continue the proven mitigation effort.

The district said between December 7 and January 6, cases rose from 49 to 1,089.

"This decision was made because of an unprecedented rise in positive cases among students and employees," Interim Superintendent Tabitha Branum said. "We continue to focus on the goal of keeping our schools open for in-person teaching and learning, and this is a necessary step if we hope to keep our students learning in school."

Parents are asked to keep any sick children at home.

The district said back in November it was going to end its mask mandate after the winter break, but decided to keep in place due to the surge in case from the omicron variant.