One decision on the table: whether to mandate masks for students

LOWNDES COUNTY,Miss. (WCBI)- School is out for the summer, but work continues for administrators who are already preparing for the next school year.

One decision on the table; whether to mandate masks for students and staff.

Masks or no masks?

With more people vaccinated and lower COVID-19 case numbers, administrators are deciding what will best serve students when they return in August.

” We understand that COVID-19 is still out there. It’s our job to keep our students, staff, and community safe. Doing that is to keep those procedures in place,” said Noxubee County Superintendent Rodriguez Broadnax.

Broadnax says campuses will keep mask requirements in place.

Since the pandemic started, students have been learning virtually. The upcoming school year will be the first year they are back in the classroom.

” We have a health and safety team made of teachers and a school nurse,” said Broadnax.
Temperatures will be checked regularly.

There are nearly 5,200 students in the Lowndes County School District.

Superintendent Sam Allison says the board has decided for the new school year. Students will not be required to wear masks in class.

” If they felt like they needed to wear a mask, they could. It is the same thing with teachers and also if they didn’t want to. It’s not something we were going to mandate. We want to take the things we’ve learned, but we want to do what’s best for kids and people,” said Allison.

District leaders began discussing removing masks earlier in the spring semester.

” The mask mandate was a part of the Governor executive order to finish the school year. As the city and county have lifted their mask mandates, we might’ve followed suit had the governor not extended it for the school year. We’ll continue to take measures to make our buildings and classrooms as safe as possible,” said Allison.

Both districts will release updated information regarding masks and safety protocols.