SCHOOLS & MASKS: List of decisions on wearing masks for each local NC school district

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced new mask guidance for faculty and children in schools this fall and updated the StrongSchoolsNC toolkit with more suggestions and recommendations.

The toolkit says students in grades K-8 should require children and staff to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.

Students in grades 9-12 should wear masks if they aren’t fully vaccinated.

With new guidance that was released on July 21, more North Carolina school districts are releasing their policies for wearing masks this coming school year.

In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster signed an executive order that doesn’t allow schools to make masks mandatory.

Here is a continuously updated list of the decisions that each NC school district in the FOX 46 Charlotte viewing area has made on wearing masks for the new school year:

Alexander County: TBD

Anson County: The school board approved for all school-based students and staff to wear masks indoors and outdoors for the 2021-2022 school year.

Ashe County: TBD

Avery County: Meeting to be held on July 29.

Burke County: Meeting to be held on July 29.

Cabarrus County: Masks will be optional. Mandatory masks for all bus riders.

Caldwell County: The school board unanimously voted that face masks would be optional for students and staff in the 2021-2022 school year.

Catawba County: The board voted that faces masks would be optional.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg: Meeting to be held on July 30.

Cleveland County: Masks will be optional.

Gaston County: Masks will be optional.

Hickory Public Schools: TBD

Iredell-Statesville Schools: Face masks will be optional.

Kannapolis City Schools:

Lincoln County: Masks will be optional.

Mooresville Graded School District: Board voted for masks to be optional.

Newton-Conover Schools: TBD

Rowan-Salisbury Schools: The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education passed a motion that Rowan-Salisbury Schools make masks optional for all students, staff, and visitors effective immediately.

Richmond County: TBD

Stanly County: Decision to be made no longer than August 1.

Union County: Board voted for masks to be optional.

Watauga County: Adults and students will be required to wear face coverings at all times unless the person (or family member, for a student) states that an exception applies, is eating, or is engaged in strenuous physical activity.