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Davidson County Schools mandates masks in school buildings for next four weeks

Masks were previously optional at Davidson County Schools. Both Davie and Rockingham County Schools have reversed their decisions and now require masks.

DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. — The Davidson County Schools Board of Education mandated masks to be worn in school buildings for the next four weeks following a special called meeting on COVID-19 protocols Monday.

The Superintendent gave updates regarding COVID-19 during the meeting.

The decision came after nearly 400 students and staff were forced to quarantine the first week.

373 students were required to quarantine and 58 students tested positive, according to the Davidson County Schools COVID-19 dashboard.

“We’re not here to debate the issue,” board member Neal Motsinger said as some crowd members became disgruntled during Monday’s meeting. “We didn’t make the quarantine rules.”

After four weeks, the board will revisit the number of positive COVID-19 cases of students and staff within the county for decision-making purposes.

Some parents wondered whether there would be changes after students and staff were forced to quarantine.

"I want to make sure that my kids can stay in school and they're safe," Brittany Young said.

Young's 1st and 4th graders are enjoying going to school without masks in Davidson County but rising cases and quarantines changed her mind in favor of masks in the classroom.

"I'm honestly starting to lean more towards it just because I can't take any more time off," Young said. "I don't want my kids to be sick. We don't need to be sick. I want everyone to be safe and what measure we have to take for that, that's what we'll have to do."

"I honestly feel like (cases are) going to rise even if they do put them in masks," Jennifer Fishel said.

Her son is a high school junior and a football player.

"They had to wear masks during football season earlier this year because of COVID and it's really hard on them," Fishel said.

Still, she said remote learning was hard for her son during the last year and a half. She agrees with Young that she'd rather see masks required than see her son learning from home.

"Either way, obviously I want what's best for our kids," Fishel said. "I want my son to be able to stay in school. If the only way that's going to happen is if they have to put those masks back on, it is what it is. We have to do it."

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