As omicron numbers drop nationwide, politicians, local leaders, and parents discuss school mask mandates

NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — Masks are back in the spotlight after Governor Cooper announced he and DHHS would make changes to NC’s Safe Schools Toolkit, but didn’t address masks.

As of now New Hanover County Schools is the only system in our area still mandating masks. This week, NC House Speaker Tim Moore wrote an open letter to the Governor, saying in part:

“This failure by Governor Cooper and DHHS to roll back obsolete mask mandates will mean that many schools will leave those mandates in place. Yesterday’s updates were simply not strong enough.”

Friday, parents like Josie Barnhart are echoing that call to action. Barnhart has three small children, and says the masking policy has led to difficulties in the classroom.

“As a parent, that’s really hard to witness,” she said. “Especially when it’s not something that you agree with. Because I know how important developmentally with a small child, phonics, for sounds, for just understanding differences of emotions within children. How important that is developmentally, especially with a three and four year old.”

Mother of five, Jane Blackwell believes the original goal of masks and other precautions was to get rid of COVID-19 while staying safe.

“But anybody who knows anything about virology knows that viruses are the number one diseases out there that mutate,” she said.

Now that we’re trying to live with the virus safely, she wishes parents would have the option when it comes to masks, especially for kids taking other precautions.

According to Blackwell, “I especially don’t feel like it’s necessary for my vaccinated children. That was the entire point of getting them vaccinated.”

And parents aren’t alone. Under the current executive orders, school boards decide whether to continue mandates or give parents the option. Board member Nelson Beaulieu recently voted to end the mandate.

“We need to get these kids back to some semblance of normal,” Beaulieu said. “They haven’t had a normal school year since 2018 and 19… and even that was interrupted by Hurricane Florence.”

Beaulieu says the Board has tried to walk the line between safety and normalcy, but he wouldn’t mind if that decision shifts to someone else.

“I would be 100 percent fine if the Governor decided on his own what the state of North Carolina’s school system would do in regards to masks,” he said. “I would thank him.”