Most say they are needed during spikes

Lexington School District 1 on Monday released the results of their mask survey.

On Sept. 13 the district sent a one-question survey to parents, guardians and staff to give them an opportunity to voice their opinion about the use of masks in our schools. The survey closed on Sunday, Sept. 19.

According to officials, 69.8% agreed that the Lexington District One Board of Trustees should consider temporarily requiring masks in times of high community spread (as designated by DHEC) in order to maximize face-to-face learning.

81% of staff completed the survey, with 69% agreeing the school board should consider a temporary mask requirement.

“For months, we have heard from a small and vocal group of parents and staff on both sides of the mask debate,” said Board of Trustees Chair Anne Marie Green. “We wanted to know how our entire community truly felt about masking. The results of this survey reveal that an overwhelming majority of our families and staff are in favor of our local school board being able to implement a temporary mask requirement to keep students and staff safe during periods of high community spread. During our September meeting, we will consider a resolution urg ing the General Assembly to repeal Proviso 1.108 to restore local control in this matter. If adopted, this will enable school boards to react quickly when our communities are experiencing high spread of the virus and equip us to better protect our students and staff.”

Officials say nearly 75% of parents & guardians in the district completed the survey.

More results will be released at the Sept. 21 school board meeting.