Masks Optional as Coppell ISD Welcomes Students Back to School Tuesday

Coppell ISD is welcoming back students on Tuesday.

Within the hours before school started, district leadership finalized their decisions on how they will approach the first day of school.

Superintendent Brad Hunt is making masks optional in all Coppell ISD campuses.

In a letter posted on the district website Monday, he said the decision was based on the Texas Supreme Court's decision to issue a stay to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins Executive Order.

"This means that Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order is now the order in effect, and at this time masks are optional inside all Coppell ISD buildings and campuses. Regardless of the mask mandates, the safety protocols we have previously put in place will remain," Hunt stated in the letter. "While we highly encourage and strongly recommend the use of masks, the Governor’s Executive Order gives the right to individuals to choose whether to wear a mask. Coppell ISD will respect the decisions of our staff, students and visitors who choose to wear a mask based on this latest court battle. This is a fluid situation, and we expect there will be additional updates and changes to come. As always, we are committed to communicating these changes to our community as they occur."

While masks are optional, the district is also offering a temporary learning opportunity for parents due to popular demand.

Parents were already notified about this earlier this month and the window to sign up has closed.

CISD is only offering virtual learning to those children who cannot get vaccinated yet, which includes early childhood and pre-K up to 6th graders. Virtual classes will begin Aug. 23 and go until Oct. 7.

After that, the district says they will re-evaluate virtual learning and could extend it if needed.

The district will be tracking COVID-19 cases through a dashboard on its website.

Here's how to read through the entire COVID-19 safety plan for CISD.