The Lenoir County Board of Education met for their monthly meeting to discuss the mask mandate as well as other items on their agenda. Members of the public included parents, grandparents, and frontline workers who shared their opinions on what types of COVID-19 precautions or lack thereof, they would like the board to address. 

While some parents addressed the mask mandate, others asked the board to adopt a virtual option accessible to all students, not just the ones with a medical need to do so. 

A teacher in Lenoir County said, “My reasoning behind wearing the mask is the science has told us that masks can help prevent covid. The science tells us there is a virus out there that can kill or make you very sick. As a parent and teacher, I would take heed to this message.”

Crystal Jones, a parent of children in Lenoir County Public Schools asked for the mask mandate to be released. “The facts are there are no studies I have read that show the difference between mask and unmask.”

Board member W. D. Anderson asked questions pertaining to a virtual option. The attorney for the board informed them the General Assembly Bill S654 eliminated the authority for a local board of education to provide virtual instruction the boards previously had. 

Board Member Merwyn Smith reiterated that Bill S654 removed the options once available to them and told the parents to read the bill and which parts pertained to virtual education. 

When the topic of the mask mandate came up, the attorney reiterated that Bill S654 requires all public school units to adopt a policy regarding the use of face coverings by employees and students for the 2021-2022 school year. The Lenoir County Board of Education adopted a policy at last month’s meeting requiring face coverings in all its buildings and facilities by students and staff. 

The bill also requires that governing body of the public school unit has to vote at least monthly on whether the policy should be modified. A motion was made by Anderson and seconded by Smith. The vote passed 5-2 with Board Members Billy Davis and Keith King voting against the motion.