Graham County Schools will require all students, faculty, and staff to wear masks for the rest of January, starting with Wednesday’s school day.
Pupils were also required to wear masks when riding school buses; that has not changed.
There is concern about increased spread of both COVID-19 variants and flu following the Christmas holidays break. The school district requires anyone exposed to a positive COVID-19 case to quarantine (now for five days; it had been 10), which would be a far larger number of people than just COVID-19 cases.
Robbinsville Elementary School Principal Jaime Hooper brought up the subject during her monthly report to the School Board at the board meeting in Robbinsville on Tuesday. She said her request was not political, and reflects her desire to keep people in school and not at home quarantined.
The board further discussed the issue as an agenda item, and following a discussion, voted 2-2 to require masks. The board chairman cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of requiring masks.
Notifications will go out using normal school communications channels and takes effect on Wednesday.
Read this week’s edition of The Graham Star for a full story.