At the August 2, 2021, meeting of the Transylvania County Board of Education, the Board approved the motion to make wearing facemasks optional and will review the policy at the board meeting on September 20, 2021.
This decision allows Dr. McDaris to continue making necessary changes through the school year in consultation with local health officials.
The Board would like to inform our students, staff and parents about the benefits of vaccination and masking and the consequences of not being fully vaccinated and not wearing a mask; however, the decision to wear or not wear a facemask is the decision of the individual staff member, adult, and the parent or guardian of minor children.
BULLYING
Bullying WILL NOT BE TOLERATED toward either masked or unmasked students, staff or visitors of Transylvania County Schools.
HEALTH RISKS OF NOT WEARING FACEMASKS AND NOT BEING FULLY VACCINATED
Data from the CDC, NCDHHS and other health agencies show you are less likely to get the COVID-19 virus if you are vaccinated or wear a mask.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
People in the following categories should not enter school buildings:
Students, staff or visitors to the school who have COVID-19 symptoms are presumed to have the virus and should stay at home until they have either quarantined per Health Department protocol or have a negative COVID-19 test.
Symptoms include but are not limited to:
- Fever of 100.4° or higher
- Difficulty Breathing
- Cough
- Recent loss of taste or smell
- New onset of severe headache
- Sore throat
DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19
Students, staff or visitors to schools who test positive for COVID-19 must stay at home per the guidelines of Transylvania Public Health.
EXPOSURE TO COVID-19
Transylvania County Schools works with Transylvania Public Health for guidance to those exposed to the virus. At this time, the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit states that if you are in close contact with a person with a positive test result (within three feet for 15 minutes or more in 24 hours), you will be quarantined for up to ten days. The exceptions are if you are fully vaccinated or if both you and the infected person are wearing a facemask.
All isolation and quarantine guidelines and decisions are made by Transylvania Public Health.
TEMPERATURES
Students, staff and visitors entering school buildings will continue to have their temperature monitored.
TRANSPORTATION AND MASKS
Face masks are required to be worn on all school buses by students and adults.
CLEANING
Transylvania County Schools will continue many of the cleaning protocols used last year which we believe assisted in mitigating the risks of CIVD-19.
SUMMARY
Any staff, student and parent who consciously chooses not to be fully vaccinated or wear a facemask should understand that they are placing themselves at a higher risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus than those that are fully vaccinated or choose to wear a face mask.