More students return to school in the Midlands as the debate over masks goes on

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– More school districts welcomed students back to class this morning, as the debate on masking continues. Tuesday, some lawmakers, teacher organizations, and health officials asked for a rethink on the state’s budget proviso banning mask mandates in schools. The governor, however, maintains his position that neither the state government, nor school districts, should tell parents whether to mask their children for school or not, leaving school districts hanging in the balance.

Richland School District Two is still exploring the option of requiring masks in school, while Lexington-Richland School District Five is not requiring masks for students. However, Richland One schools are mandating students to mask up.

Wednesday morning at Forest Heights Elementary, the superintendent stated that masks are just one of the strategies the school district is putting in place. Masks, along with social distancing including plexiglass, sanitzing stations, cleaning protocols and contact tracing are tools that Richland One schools are putting into place for the fall. The superintendent hopes these strategies will cut down on the spread of COVID-19 and the amount of cases in the district’s schools.

While Attorney General Alan Wilson stated that mask mandates in schools go against state law, the Richland One School Board voted unanimously to require face coverings in schools. Masks will also be required on buses and for visitors. The school district is still looking for more bus drivers and is working to determine what level of transmission would require returning to virtual learning.

Nearby, Kershaw County has more than 160 cases and almost 1,000 students quarantining, and Pickens County has already temporarily returned to distance learning.

Richland One hopes the mask mandate can help keep kids in the classroom as much as possible.