Beaumont ISD to invoke mask rule

“What has changed from Thursday until today… more and more cases are erupting in our buildings,” Beaumont ISD Superintendent Dr. Shannon Allen said Monday, Aug. 23, asking the Board of Trustees to invoke a mask mandate district-wide. King Middle School is already closed through Friday, Aug. 27, due to significant COVID diagnoses among the campus population, Allen explained. To prevent other campus shutdowns, she advised, more stringent COVID prevention protocols are necessary.

A vote of the Beaumont ISD school board Aug. 23 supported Allen’s suggestion to invoke a mask rule for the district’s campuses and buildings. Trustees Joe Evans and Kevin Reece voted against the proposal, and Board Vice President Woodrow Reece did not attend the virtual meeting of the board.

Beaumont Health Department Director Dr. Kenneth Coleman, supporting masks being worn in school settings, said, “The delta variant has changed the game.”

“What you’re seeing at King, we’re actually seeing that in our Catholic schools now,” he added, saying that more campuses will be impacted unless more persons get vaccinated and “proper” mask wearing is invoked.

“One of the main concerns is just how quickly this is happening,” Allen said. “If there is anything we can do to slow this down, we need to do what we can do.

"BISD’s top priority is and always has been the safety of our students and staff. Masking up is a critical part of mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in our schools. Having one campus close after four days clearly shows how much more impactful the delta variant is. With this in mind, we found it imperative that we protect each other and mandate facial coverings. This mandate we hope will reduce the spread and help keep our doors open and kids in schools.”