Dallas City Wire

The superintendent of Dallas ISD is expected to resign amidst controversy surrounding mask mandates, COVID-19 related issues and other conflicts with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. 

Michael Hinojosa, superintendent of Dallas ISD, intends to step down from his position at least by the end of the year.

“Parents in Dallas ISD should celebrate that a major mask mandater is leaving DISD, but they should also be frustrated that Greg Abbott is allowing the orders to remain in place," gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines said. "When I am Governor of Texas I will end all mask mandates and vaccine mandates in the state and prosecute those who attempt to implement them.”

Hinojosa is anticipated to officially offer his resignation during the next week. Hinojosa graduated from DISD and started his teaching career there, enrolled his children in the district, and now has supervised it for nearly 13 years. Hinojosa's salary as superintendent is greater than $350,000. Hinojosa disobeyed Abbott's executive order banning mask mandates and required all DISD students and staff to wear masks on school premises.

The school district also supported a lawsuit against the order. Dozens of protesters reacted negatively to Hinojosa's mandate by arriving at schools with no masks on.

Huffines says he is committed to ending vaccine passports in Texas, banning employers in Texas from discriminating against current or future employees based on vaccination status, ending mask mandates and taking a variety of other actions intended to deregulate health issues for residents of Texas. He intends to enforce these changes in regulation by prosecuting government officials who try to do otherwise. 

Dallas ISD is the second biggest school system in the state of Texas, according to a report from The Dallas Morning News, making it a big job for whoever succeeds Hinojosa.