Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a letter that emphasizes that the decision on how and when to reopen schools rests with the school districts. | Pixabay
Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement declaring local health districts cannot broadly close schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19, leaving the decision of when and how to open schools up to individual school districts.
Paxton said in a letter to Stephenville Mayor Doug Svien that health districts only have the authority to address specific, actual outbreaks of disease, not issue blanket quarantine orders outside of state law. The governor's order states that local government operations, such as schools, are permitted to open at full capacity. Local orders that restrict these operations are overridden by the governor's order.
“Education of our children is an essential Texas value and there is no current statewide order prohibiting any school from opening,” Paxton said in a press release from his office. “While local health authorities may possess some authority to close schools in limited circumstances, they may not issue blanket orders closing all schools on a purely preventative basis. That decision rightfully remains with school system leaders.”
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