Should Texas School Districts Segregate Masked and Unmasked Students Like This One?

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A Texas school district will separate masked and unmasked students following a directive from the school board.

The Eanes school board directed administrators Tuesday night to enforce the mask mandate in the latest change as the district has tried to stay in line with the shifting laws governing mask wearing in schools this fall.

The mandate will be enforced through the creation of alternative learning spaces for students who refuse to wear masks. Students in compliance with the mask mandate will be able to go to class and will be allowed to move freely in school buildings. This option was presented as an alternative to suspending students over mask violations, which members of the school board said they felt was not the way forward.

The mandate will go into effect as early as the end of the week. The Eanes ISD is not the only school district in Texas to consider sequestering unmasked students from masked students.

This solution to the question of mask mandate enforcement mirrors what some other districts have done. This includes the Houston school district, where students who refuse to wear a mask will be “placed in a separate area” and their parents or guardians contacted, according to the Houston Chronicle.

I have to wonder how these districts can create a good learning environment when you are segregating students? How will this affect the students being separated from their fellow classmates? Also, do they have the personnel to handle the separation of the students?

So, what do you think of these districts sequestering students who are not wearing masks? Is this a good idea? Are there better ideas? We'd love to get your thoughts and reaction. Let us know what you think on Facebook or on our station app.