BOERNE, Texas – The Boerne Independent School District has over 10,000 students, over 15,000 staff members and wants to let their 20,000 plus parents know that safety protocols are in place for the classroom, the hallways, lunchtime, and even their after-school programs.
And since Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff on Tuesday issued an executive order that will require the use of face masks in all Bexar County facilities, Boerne ISD says they are reviewing the directive with their attorneys.
Two BISD schools are located within Bexar County: Van Raub and Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary. Parents of the schools received emails from the district stating that their current policy will remain unchanged until further clarification. The current policy makes the use of masks optional for students.
School officials say BISD was one of the few districts that was open to in-person learning all year long and never had to shut a school down, crediting that to both students and parents for taking their safety protocols and guidelines seriously. They say those same standards can be expected this school year as well.
BISD Director of Communication Bryan Benway said throughout the pandemic they have established a heightened standard of deep cleaning and disinfection and amplified attention to safety protocols. He states schools in this day and age have never been cleaner.
“We don’t do anything these days without thinking of safety and that’s where our protocols come into play. That’s why our teachers, our principals, our custodians, our bus drivers, anybody that comes in contact with a student knows what we have to do for safety and we implement those protocols and we take them extremely seriously,” Benway said.