Lenoir County Schools to require masks for first 3 weeks of school

KINSTON, N.C. (WITN) - Lenoir County Public Schools announced Monday night that face masks will be required by everyone while inside of school buildings and on school transportation but they will not be required while outdoors for the first 3 weeks of the new school year. The motion passed in a 5 to 2 vote by the Board of Education.

Parents and teachers took turns speaking at the meeting, voicing their opinions on the matter. One teacher said, “students can be kept safe without a mask mandate.” A Lenoir County public school parent who was in attendance said masks should be required and, “putting students in an environment where masks are optional isn’t safe.”

The school system announced that they are set to open at full capacity for 5 day face-to-face instruction for all. The school system said field trips will return this coming school year and that they will no longer require daily COVID-19 symptom screenings.

Lenoir County Health Director, Pamela Brown, also presented at the meeting Monday night. “It is my recommendation that the school system follow the toolkit provided by the state,” Brown said. “Until we know more about what delta will do in our state, it’s good to think about protection. I think we are in this vulnerable stage,” Brown said.

Lenoir County Public Schools are set to start back on August 23rd and teachers will return August 10th. High school orientation is August 17th, middle school will be August 18th and all elementary schools will have their orientation on August 19th from 5 to 8 pm each evening.

The board will meet again on September 13th to discuss masks once more.

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