Schools Reopen: Stories From Across Pandemic America nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Businesses can choose to require masks, and in many cities, they must still be worn inside municipal buildings. In Austin, officials said they would keep in place a local ordinance requiring masks and were bracing for a legal fight with Mr. Abbott and his administration.
Houston, Dallas and Austin were among the cities where school systems said students and staff members were still required to wear masks. But in Johnson City, west of Austin, the school board on Tuesday voted, 4-3, to drop the mask mandate. Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District, which covers an upscale suburban area near Lubbock, sent an email to parents saying that masks were now optional. And in Lubbock, the matter is scheduled for debate on Thursday.