District 5 school officials will not require students to wear face masks.

The officials in Chapin and Irmo were replying to a new Richland County ordinance mandating face masks for students, staff and visitors in school.

Their statement reads:

“District 5 is comprised of 2 counties, Richland and Lexington, with half of our schools located in each county. To provide consistency for our District 5 family, the district will continue to follow the 2021-22 budget proviso 1.108 in all of our schools, which states that no school district may require the wearing of face masks by students and staff in educational facilities.

“We continue to strongly encourage students and staff to wear face masks and to consult with their individual health care providers about other mitigation measures, including the vaccine. The district has and will continue to follow all safety measures recommended by state and federal authorities related to the pandemic.

“We encourage the community to visit the School District Five resources page at www.LexRich5.org/COVID19 for information on mitigation strategies and procedures.

“Safety is our top priority, and we appreciate the cooperation of our stakeholders as we return to school to educate our children.”