New Hanover County Schools to keep mask mandate in place
The decision came as a surprise to many after the county-wide mask mandate was lifted on Friday
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Board of Education met on Monday to consider lifting the current mask mandate for all students, teachers, and staff.
The meeting was scheduled after the board delayed making a decision at its regular meeting last Tuesday, opting to wait for a decision on the county-wide mandate by the Health and Human Services Board. That board met on Friday, voting to lift the mandate.
At its meeting Monday, the Board of Education got to hear a presentation on current COVID-19 data from the county health department.
Pete Wildeboer asked Public Health Director David Howard questions about the effectiveness of masks and whether Pender County Schools or Brunswick County Schools had seen any spikes in cases since lifting their mask mandates.
“We’ve compared notes, especially for those counties that have gone optional a little sooner than us, looking to see if there’s been a spike,” Howard said. “Somewhat of a rise, but a rise is not going to cause a kneejerk reaction and shouldn’t.”
Stephanie Kraybill asked health leaders about whether quarantine protocol for students would be modified if the mask mandate was lifted.
“Without the masks, you don’t have the piece that if both people are consistently masked, then the exposed doesn’t have to quarantine,” said Assistant Health Director Carla Turner.
According to the NHCS COVID-19 Dashboard, there were just seven positive cases among students and staff in New Hanover County Schools at the end of last week.
The board voted 5-2 to keep the mandate in place until at least December 7. Stefanie Adams, Stephanie Kraybill, Stephanie Walker, Judy Justice, and Hugh McManus voted in favor of the policy. Nelson Beaulieu and Pete Wildeboer voted against it.
Several of the board members who voted in favor of the mandate expressed an interest in keeping it in place until after the holidays.
The board’s decision leaves many parents feeling frustrated.
“7 reported positives out of 26,000 students,” said Tom Toby with NC Freedom New Hanover County. “We are not a high transmission area here.”
Toby, who is running for a seat on the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners in 2022, has a son who is a high school senior in the county.
“He hates going to school with a mask,” Toby said. “He has suffered from two concussions over the last couple of years, we’ve actually had him in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, but yet the schools continue to make him wear a mask. There’s no medical exemption.”
Erin Cogan is another parent with concerns.
“You know, I can’t help but wonder if what they’ve done is actually even legal, because it seems like it’s outside the scope of their jobs,” Cogan said. “North Carolina state health officials have said they would no longer recommend masking unless there’s high transmission rates. We don’t have high transmission rates, we have zero percent for students.”
Ashley Provost has four kids in New Hanover County Schools. She feels the Board of Education is no longer following science.
“They lifted the mask mandate in New Hanover, I don’t know what keeping them on in school is going to do except push their own agenda,” Provost said. “Kids already have the opportunity to get the vaccine if that’s what their parents want.”
New Hanover Educational Justice released a statement following the meeting, praising the board’s decision:
“Thank you Ms. Adams for your comments! Thank you Ms. Kraybil, Ms. Walker, Ms. Justice and Mr. McManus for giving parents CHOICE to fully vaccinate their children and protect them before considering lifting masks.”
You can watch the entire meeting here.
