Photo: Getty Images
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston County School Board is meeting for the first time since implementing the district-wide mask mandate.
This comes after a judge ruled in favor of the district’s mask policy after parents in the district attempted to block the mandate.
The school board is now hearing from parents at the district headquarters.
During the meeting, a group of people held an anti-mask protest just outside the meeting. But inside, although things are calmer the majority of the parents inside are giving a similar message.
While a couple have spoken in favor praising the board, many of the others signed up either did not show up or we’re not allowed inside. Monday’s agenda did not list any plans to discuss any changes to the mask policy.
According to the agenda, the Board of Trustees is planning to discuss their plans for spending $163 million in federal funds. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, also known as the ESSER Fund, is being allocated to help schools amid the pandemic.
The district Superintendent is also set to give an update on COVID-19 numbers in schools.
Monday’s meeting comes just days after Governor Henry McMaster issued a letter directly to the district asking them to stop using School Resource Officers to enforce their mask mandate.
“Among other things, I am concerned that the district’s aggressive use of school resource officers may inadvertently create unhealthy, erroneous and negative stereotypes of law enforcement officers, especially among our young children,” McMaster said in the letter.
The district says they already don’t.
“I can confirm our district has not asked any of the school resource officers who serve in our schools nor any of our law enforcement partners to enforce the Board’s mask requirement,” said Andy Pruitt, the spokesperson for the district.
Copyright 2021 WCSC. All rights reserved.