School board votes to require masks for students, staff

WADESBORO — The Anson County Board of Education voted on Monday to approve requiring universal masks for all school-based students and staff for the 2021-2022 school year, which was recommended by the school system’s administrative staff.

Board Member Dr. George Truman motioned to approve the recommendation, with a second by Board Member Frank Liles. Board Member Gay Lookabill voted against it.

Student Services Administrator Dr. Mary Ratliff gave a presentation on why she believed the school system needed universal masks prior to the vote. She noted that as of June 25 in North Carolina there were 400 people hospitalized and by July 25 there were 943 people hospitalized, and added that the delta variant is more contagious and that research shows that quarantine can have negative mental health consequences for students. She argued that preventative measures must be taken.

The Associated Press reported that Saturday was the state’s worst day for new COVID cases since April 30 with more than 2,000 North Carolinians reported to have tested positive for COVID-19. The current hospitalizations throughout the state are at their highest level since May 10.

“Everyone is really tired of wearing masks but the fact is that COVID cases in North Carolina are continuing to rise,” Ratliff said.

She explained that students who are put in quarantine for the virus experience social isolation, have nightmares and suffer psychological damage from the fear that them being sick could cause one of their family members to die. But new guidance would allow for students to remain in school if they came into contact with an infected person on school grounds, as long as they wear their masks.

“According to the guidance, K-12 students who are not fully vaccinated but have been in close contact within 3-6 feet with someone with a confirmed case of COVID — in which both individuals were wearing a mask the entire time and using the proper protocols — they do not recommend quarantining of students following that exposure in school settings if masks are being worn,” Ratliff told the board. “Can you imagine the impact of not having to close a classroom?”

She shared that just last week, a summer school classroom avoided having to close because all of the students and staff were wearing masks when a COVID-positive student came to class.

Three top authorities on the matter have recommended universal masks: the CDC, the American Pediatric Association, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. NCDHHS’s recommendation is universal masks for all who are unvaccinated. Ratliff explained that only 8% of the student population has gotten vaccinated because the Anson County Health Department only has access to the Moderna vaccine, which has not been approved for administration to those aged 12-17, meaning that the vast majority of Anson County Schools students are recommended to wear masks under NCDHHS’s guidelines.

The board members went back and forth on whether administrative staff wouldn’t need to wear masks because they are not in close quarters with others like other staff members, they agreed that the only way to be consistent was to require masks for everyone.