Johnston County schools make masks optional, despite new guidance for mandate
Masks will be optional for students in Johnston County schools in the upcoming academic year, despite recent federal and state guidance that recommends mask wearing indoors, even among those who are vaccinated.
The Johnston County school board voted 4-3 Thursday to make the face coverings optional for elementary and secondary schools.
The decision, made at a special session at 5 p.m., came shortly after a 3 p.m. press conference where Gov. Roy Cooper urged mask wearing indoors — including for those vaccinated — in counties with high or substantial spread, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That includes Johnston County.
Cooper also said North Carolina would adjust its guidance for schools to comply with updated CDC guidance that recommends universal masking in all schools. Cooper said the state recommends local school districts require masks in all school levels, regardless of vaccination status.
“Look at this again,” Cooper said Thursday, urging school boards who have made masks optional to reconsider their decisions. “Look at the number in your county, and the danger your students could face.”
Johnston County Schools Superintendent Eric Bracy informed board members prior to the vote what Cooper had recommended.
Those who voted to make masks optional weren’t wearing them at the meeting. All but one of those who voted to mandate were wearing masks.
Community members who attended the meeting were carrying signs in protest of mask mandates, according to video footage posted by the county. One read, “Parent’s Choice.”
The school board called the special meeting to vote on their mask policy a few weeks ago, after the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services released recommendations that all elementary and middle schools require everyone, including those vaccinated, to wear masks. Vaccinations are only available now for people 12 and older.
At the time, the state said vaccinated students and staff at high schools would not need to wear masks, but anyone not vaccinated would.
Statewide, just 26% of school-age children 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated.
Among schools that have instituted a mask policy for the upcoming academic year, 21, including Johnston, have decided to make masks optional, according to an EducationNC analysis.
Delta is spreading
The urge for action comes as the delta variant, a more transmissible strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has caused a surge of cases and hospitalizations across the country.
On Thursday, the state reported over 3,200 new cases, the highest since February, and over 1,100 hospitalizations. Average new case rates have increased sixfold over the last month, and almost all new cases are among those unvaccinated, state officials say.
In Johnston County, 39% of the population is fully vaccinated, behind the statewide rate of 47%.
Board members were informed prior to the vote that the percentage of positive coronavirus tests in the county is 9.1%, the highest since February.
Over the last week, DHHS has reported 168 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in Johnston County, higher than Wake, Durham, Orange and Chatham counties.
Other Triangle school districts have not weighed in on the CDC guidance, nor North Carolina’s recommendations.
In Durham, the district is requiring students and staff at year-round schools to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status. Officials said they would revisit mask requirements in August, and the board has a work session scheduled Aug. 12.
Both Wake County public schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools have meetings scheduled Aug. 3.
Reasoning for the vote
Prior to the vote, school officials presented information on the state’s guidance surrounding mask-wearing in schools.
They also reported that the school system would return to pre-pandemic routines and events, though they should be planned with as much social distancing as possible, they said.
Officials said potential quarantines from COVID clusters could result in teacher and student absences.
They said that students’ absences are a leading indicator of academic issues, and teachers missing class disrupt student learning. School officials said absences could exacerbate already declining academic performance due to the pandemic.
Board vice chair Terri Sessoms, who voted to require masks, said the disruption to students concerned her. That is why she voted for the masks.
Prior to the officials’ presentation, board member Michael Wooten, who voted to make masks optional, compared giving parents a choice for masking to giving them a choice to let their children drive vehicles.
“When my daughter got her license,” he said. “I had to choose whether to let her drive on the road because of all the risks.”
Wooten compared wearing a mask to actions such as wearing a seat belt or not texting while driving.
“Can I keep her from doing that? No,” he said. “The decision needs to be a choice for our students and staff.”
Not wearing a seat belt in a moving vehicle and texting while driving are both illegal in North Carolina.
Wooten put forward a motion for the vote prior to the officials’ presentation on the consequences of the decision.
But he rescinded it once Sessoms voiced that she wanted to hear their presentation.
Board chair Todd Sutton, in reference to prior scientific research presented to the board a few months ago, said children don’t spread the virus as efficiently as adults.
“I have a hard time not giving the parents a choice,” he said, though he said respected those that wanted a mandate.
Sutton voted to make masks optional.
Sessoms said that the theory that children don’t spread the virus is still being tested.
The News & Observer previously reported that children are more likely to spread the delta variant than the original strain because they are largely unvaccinated.
As of Tuesday, there are 22 COVID-19 clusters statewide at schools and child care facilities. One of those is at Smithfield-Selma High School in Johnston County.
Sessoms, while giving a statement defending her mandate vote, was interrupted by crowd members against the mask requirement.
“I gave you the courtesy of reading your emails. I’d like for you to give me the courtesy of reading my statement, whether you like it or not,” she said.
Sessoms, continuing with her statement, said the primary issue surrounding mask mandates is they help protect others.
“That is the crux of this whole issue,” she said.
The CDC has said masks also protect the people that wear them.
She said when considering whether or not to wear a mask, people needed to examine the impact of their choices.
“We have stopped thinking about how our choices impact the people around us,” Sessoms said.
Despite the optional vote, Sessoms said she supports the board decision and respects those on the board she disagrees with.
This story was originally published July 29, 2021 at 7:56 PM.