Education

Beaufort Co. school board won’t discuss mask mandate tonight. Here’s when it will

Beaufort County residents showing up at Wednesday night’s school board meeting to discuss a potential mask mandate for students and staff are likely to be disappointed.

Robyn Cushingberry, the board’s executive assistant, said the board will not hear public comments at its Wednesday meeting or meet in closed session about a potential mask requirement.

The Wednesday meeting is to continue Tuesday night’s agenda, and both of the scheduled public comment sessions happened Tuesday night, she said.

Beaufort County’s school board considered implementing a mask mandate at Tuesday’s meeting, but ultimately voted to postpone a decision “pending legal and public health advice.”

The board has tentatively scheduled a special-called meeting for Monday, Aug. 23, to discuss a mask mandate. Cushingberry said she was still confirming the time and location of that meeting, but if it’s not virtual, it will likely be held at 2900 Mink Point Blvd., the district’s headquarters in Burton.

Board chairperson Christina Gwozdz said Wednesday that the Monday meeting will include a public comment session. She added that the school board does not know which legal and public health advisers will be there Monday — “It’s a question of who’s available,” she said.

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Rachel Jones
The Island Packet
Rachel Jones covers education for the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has worked for the Daily Tar Heel and Charlotte Observer. She has won awards from the South Carolina Press Association, Associated College Press and North Carolina College Media Association for feature writing and education reporting.
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