This morning our Belton ISD Board of Trustees held a special meeting during which they approved the administration’s recommendation to make mask wearing optional inside our Belton ISD facilities starting Tuesday, May 25. This recommendation was made in response to the Governor’s Executive Order GA 36 issued last week. 

We announced on May 12 our intention to continue the mask requirement inside our facilities through the end of the school year and to make masks optional in buildings beginning June 14. The Governor’s Executive Order announced on May 18 took away local decision making authority and created a conflict with the guidance we currently have from our local health authority and the Texas Education Agency. The Governor’s order also further complicates this issue because it requires the removal of mask requirements prior to the end of our school year.

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic we have focused on the values of Clarity, Kindness, and Unity in Purpose. Our goal since September has been to make sure we have as many students face-to-face as possible and to ensure a focus on exceptional learning. It is my hope that our decision to make masks optional tomorrow will support our school staff to better focus on the main task at hand - creating exceptional experiences for students as we close out the year.

This evening, I ask families to engage in thoughtful discussion regarding your decision to wear masks for the remainder of this year. I encourage you to contact your primary care physician and ask for guidance appropriate for your student and your family for the final 11 days of instruction. Our contact tracing practices and notifications will continue through the last day of school and, as it was in the beginning of the year, we want every student and staff member to have a safe, face-to-face learning experience. 

I am proud of the way our local community has come together during this pandemic to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Our prevention and mitigation strategies worked and allowed us to have every school open for face-to-face learning the entire school year. Athletics, activities, and learning experiences that make our schools great were present thanks to the great work of our Big Red Community. Thank you for your efforts for our students and staff this year and have a wonderful final 11 days.

Sincerely,

Matt Smith, Ed.D.
Belton ISD Superintendent