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Guilford County Schools Board of Education to vote on masks in schools

Board of Education members are holding a special meeting Monday evening to vote on the current, mandatory mask mandate in GCS.

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — UPDATE: Guilford County Schools' Board of Education approves optional masks for students and teachers.

Guilford County Board of Education is meeting Monday to vote on mandatory masks in schools.

GCS Superintendent Sharon Contreras recommended the Board of Education votes to make masks optional. This is still a divisive topic among parents and guardians. 

“I think it’s still necessary because you don’t know who is vaccinated and who is not and just a precaution for the child as well as for them going home to their families,” explains Kim Smith. 

Cindy Hammer is also a parent and said, "it’s a real shame socially what these masks have done to our children I know mine personally has terrible acne from it."

The debate continues, and the question remains, will the mandatory mask mandate remain in place or be lifted in Guilford County Schools? Guilford County Commissioners voted a few days ago to remove the county-wide mask mandate. School board chair, Deena Hayes, said this is one of several reasons why the mask policy may need to be changed.

GCS said if the mask-optional policy is approved, it'll apply to anyone inside school buildings and other school-related settings and will go into effect immediately. 

As far as buses, masks will still be required on GCS buses and public transportation because it's a CDC requirement. 

So if masks are rescinded, will this affect the bus driver shortage? Hayes said the driver shortage isn't because of COVID-19, and it impacts other departments as well. 

"Those aren't single issues," Hayes said. "It's not just a transportation issue. It is a labor issue and a worker issue, as much as it is a health issue. So, we will take all of that information into account as we develop the best plan possible to make sure that our students can stay in school." 

The school district said it will also consider at the meeting rescinding the mandatory COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated athletes and coaches.

Instead, Contreras said GCS would offer voluntary, weekly pool testing for all students and staff who participate in high-risk extracurricular activities as a mitigation strategy.

The virtual special called meeting will start at 6 p.m. Depending on the vote, the school district said they may not need to vote on masks every month. 

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