GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — The administration with Guilford County Schools recommends the school board votes to move to mask-optional while inside school buildings and other school-related settings. The administration would like to see the change start on March 7.
It recommended going mask-optional after Guilford County dropped its mask mandate Thursday. The Board of Education will discuss the recommendation at its next work session on February 24. Some GCS parents WFMY spoke with support the recommendation.
“If my child is at school and decides they want to wear a mask I’m comfortable saying go right ahead, I’m also giving my child the option as well,” GCS Parent Keisha Fyler said. “I just don’t think it’s right that we’re being forced and that definitely needs to change.”
GCS Parent John Berlin agreed.
“At this point the kids are frustrated,” Berlin said. “They don’t like it anymore at all. When we go out to restaurants they question you know why can we do this but yet when we’re in school, my fifth grader she has to sit at her desk while she’s eating they cannot talk they have to be quiet which just blows our mind.”
Triad area school districts like Randolph and Rockingham County Schools are already mask-optional.
Adam Powell is the Public Information Officer for Rockingham County Schools. He said the school district has been mask optional since January 4. He said the district has seen a tremendous reduction in quarantines and total cases over the last month.
“In this polarized time we just want students to come to a safe environment where they feel included, where they feel safe, where they can come and learn above all and we’re very pleased about the positive trends that we’re seeing and we certainly hope they continue,” Powell said.
Davidson, Yakin and Wilkes County Schools decided this week to make mask optional. Thomasville City Schools will meet next week to discuss its mask mandate.