Students, staff in Durham Public Schools will be required to wear masks, board says
Students with Durham Public Schools will be required to wear masks this year, as COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly due to the delta variant.
The Durham school board voted unanimously Thursday night to require universal face coverings indoors for all students and staff in kindergarten through 12th grades. The rule also applies to visitors and for anyone riding a school bus.
The school district already had a requirement in place for year-round schools.
Superintendent Pascal Mubenga said it’s the best plan possible at the moment so schools can open in two weeks.
“This is pretty much a moving target,” he said. “Things will change tomorrow, a week, a month from now. This is not final as we’re dealing with this pandemic.”
As of Monday, Durham County and the City of Durham began requiring masks in all buildings, including government buildings and businesses.
For Durham Public Schools students, face coverings may be removed when outside or during meals when 3 feet of distance can be maintained.
Students with documented medical needs may apply for an exemption, the district said.
Durham joins a growing list of school districts in North Carolina that are requiring the masks to comply with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of the 115 school districts in North Carolina, 52 are making masks optional and 59 are requiring them as of Aug. 12, The News & Observer reported.
Wake, Orange, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Chatham and Johnston counties all require the masks. Johnston previously called for them to be optional but reversed its decision earlier this week, The N&O reported.
Children younger than 12 are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Durham school board went over a series of COVID-19 protocols for the new school year, including removing some from last year that no longer were “supported by current evidence.”
DPS back-to-school COVID protocols
Here are other DPS recommendations for the school year, according to a district presentation:
▪ Students will not be screened before entering schools, but families should do so at home before students come to campus or board school buses. Visitors must be screened when coming to campus.
▪ Students should maintain a distance of 3 feet within school settings to “the greatest extent possible.” Adults should maintain a minimum of 6 feet in lines and hallways, when possible.
▪ Buses will operate at full capacity, and students will be required to wear masks. Students who leave early during the day due to illness will not be allowed to ride the bus home. Bus drivers will have seating charts to help with contact tracing.
▪ Schools will resume using cafeterias for serving and eating meals, but use of outdoor space is encouraged. The layouts of the cafeterias will be adjusted to accommodate distancing. Students will need to sit 3 feet apart from one another and can remove masks while eating. There will be seating charts to help with contact tracing.
▪ Students will be asked to wear face coverings during physical education classes indoors. During outdoor physical activity, masks will be required for students who are not physically distanced. Students “actively engaged” in physical activity won’t need to wear masks.
▪ Athletes who compete indoors will be required to wear masks while competing. Spectators to indoor sporting events must wear masks. Spectators at outdoor sporting events must wear masks if they can’t adequately distance.
▪ Field trips will be allowed that follow current health and safety precautions.
In Durham County, 71% of the population over 12 years old is partially vaccinated while 67% over 12 is fully vaccinated, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 7:20 PM.