Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says students will be returning to public schools in person this fall.
The Texas Tribune reports that schools will not be required to have returning students wear masks or be tested for Covid-19 symptoms, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Education Agency.
"It will be safe for Texas public school students, teachers, and staff to return to school campuses for in-person instruction this fall," says Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. "But there will also be flexibility for families with health concerns so that their children can be educated remotely, if the parent so chooses."
Abbott has long said his intention is for students to return in-person this fall. He says there will "definitely be higher safety standards in place than when they opened last year."
The governor has pressed forward with reopening businesses and other public spaces for weeks, even as the number of new cases and people hospitalized with the virus has risen.
National surveys have shown many parents do not feel safe sending their students back to the classrooms. School districts' surveys of parents are showing that many students will stay home, even when the classrooms are open.
