Chester County schools mask up as coronavirus cases rise
The Chester County School Board announced Monday night that it will require masks in schools.
The Board and Superintendent Antwon Sutton came to this decision after evaluating all options to prevent a mass breakout of coronavirus in Chester’s schools, Chester County Representative Chris Christoff said.
“The main goal of the board, first and foremost, is the safety of students and staff. It’s purely for the safety of students,” Christoff said.
The district also corresponded with contacts at the Center for Disease Control and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to come to this decision. The policy will be reevaluated in 60 days.
The CDC recommended last week that everyone wear masks in K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
The district reported that there are currently 68 positive cases of COVID-19 in the Chester schools -- 57 students and 11 staff.
Due to the district’s quarantine policy, 200 students are currently quarantined after COVID-19 exposure.
Christoff said cases are nearly doubling each week.
If a student or staff member is exposed to the virus, they will be required to quarantine. The school will immediately inform anyone who may have come in contact with that person and they also may be required to quarantine.
The duration of quarantine time will depend entirely on the case, Christoff said. Variables such as when and how someone was exposed, as well as the vaccination status of both parties, will be considered.
If exposed, a student or teacher could avoid quarantine altogether or have to stay home for up to 24 days, Chief Human Resources Officer Wendell Sumter said.
CCSD did away with hybrid learning this year and currently allows 200 students to go to school online. Christoff said the district’s goal is to keep children learning in person, and the mask policy is part of this effort.
“We don’t want students out of school,” he said.
If students do not have masks, the schools can supply masks to them, Christoff said.
A proviso by the South Carolina General Assembly currently prevents mask mandates such as the one passed in Chester. But other school districts, including Columbia schools, have defied the proviso.
Christoff said the district continues to consult legal council on how to navigate this policy.
While this was an independent decision, the district has been following trends in surrounding school districts, including Fort Mill and Lancaster school districts, Christoff said.
Fort Mill School District’s COVID dashboard currently shows 45 positive cases, with 375 students quarantined. Lancaster School District reported Friday that 80 students have tested positive and that 687 students are currently quarantined.
