Debate continues over mandating masks; Aiken County students encouraged to wear masks

Aug. 17—The debate across South Carolina over whether or not masks should be mandated in schools has state and local officials speaking out about what they believe is the best option.

During a joint news conference Tuesday, S.C. Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman — along with other state and health officials — disagreed with the current state law prohibiting masks mandates in schools and urged the use of masks and vaccinations to fight COVID-19.

"If we fail to follow these mitigation strategies and use every tool available to us, I fear that we will be faced with a school year that we had hoped to be very normal, but a school year with avoidable interruptions which will be detrimental to our children," Spearman said.

The state's Proviso 1.108 was created on July 6 as a mask mandate prohibition. It states no school districts in South Carolina, or any of its schools, may use any funds appropriated or authorized pursuant to this act to require that its students and/or employees wear a face mask at any of its education facilities.

"Folks, we're better than this. We're smarter than this," said Spearman on Tuesday. "... Send your kids to school with a mask on."

S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell also participated in Tuesday's news conference.

Bell said DHEC posted COVID-19 associated cases in students and staff this past Friday, and in less than two weeks in school learning, 141 students and 34 staff were reported with COVID-19.

"The solutions are immediately within our grasps," Bell said. "They're simple, they're evidence based, and we're asking people to simply comply with what will protect our students staff members, health care providers and our health care systems."

Spearman said the state now has statistics showing increased spread in children.

"We have statistics where it is spreading among children, where it was not before," Spearman said. "... We need to put on our mask, and everybody eligible needs to get vaccinated."

Aiken County Superintendent of Education King Laurence has been encouraging everyone eligible to get the vaccine and wear their masks in schools and on the bus.

Around the country, there have been counties that are going against their state orders and requiring masks in schools, but Laurence feels he is doing what he can.

"I think all school leaders are encouraging the governor to reverse that order," Laurence said. "I know that Molly Spearman has made that request, and I think most of us, as leaders in the various school districts in the state, are encouraging him to do the same thing. I'm not prepared to defy a state order; however, I do think it is my responsibility to encourage as many people as possible to wear masks and as many people as possible to be vaccinated."

One of the thresholds for Aiken County for moving individual schools to hybrid or virtual learning models during the school year will be if more than 25% of the instructional staff is quarantined or in isolation.

State Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, said he is finding that the school districts led primarily by Democrats are "defying state government." He added that it is very clear that a large majority of South Carolinians, including parents, do not want mask mandates and that they want masks to be an option.

He cited a poll of state voters in which only 12% supported government mandates on mask wearing, while 61% were in favor of individuals making their own risk assessment and corresponding decision.

"We have a rule of law, and it needs to be followed. So it's no longer about the masks in schools, it's about the defiance of counties and school districts to state law," Taylor said.

Aiken County Public Schools Chairman, Dr. John Bradley said he doesn't agree with the idea of not being able to require masks.

"The virus is very, very contagious and the number of young people getting it is much higher than before. I think it's a prescription for disaster, really, putting a bunch of people in confined spaces and not requiring them to take the major precaution they could take," Bradley said.

With classes returning to in person, Bradley is worried about how effective social distancing will be at all times, especially with students in middle school and high school changing classes in the hallways.

"The one thing we can do to prevent the spread is wear a mask, but we have a legislature telling us that we can't do that," Bradley said.

There are some people in favor of the option of mask mandates in schools.

The South Carolina House, Senate Democratic Caucuses and the Legislative Black Caucus held a news conference Tuesday stating why the Proviso 1.108 should be repealed.

The South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus' Rep. Patricia Moore Henegan, D-Marlboro, spoke up about why she felt the proviso needs to be repealed.

"Noble leaders should be worried about the health and safety of our children, they should not be worried about getting sued," Henegan said. "I believe the schools have a responsibility to protect kids."

Henegan said it should be a school board's decision whether to mandate masks and that they should have that option.

On Tuesday, Spearman said there are only two options for any changes to be made.

"Either the Legislature comes back in, and I have asked them to do that, continuously, or this ends up in the courts," Spearman said.

"I disagree with the governor. We have got to have a solution for this. Our schools are starting, our educators are worried; and we have parents who are very, very concerned, as I am."

Currently there has been no change made to the proviso.

Also Tuesday, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that a mask mandate instituted by the University of South Carolina last month does not violate a state budget proviso banning discriminatory face covering requirements.

University officials withdrew the mask rule earlier this month after state Attorney General Alan Wilson opined that the mandate was "likely not consistent with the intent of the Legislature."

Wilson had cited a budget proviso passed by the General Assembly that states public institutions of higher learning can't use appropriated funds to "require that its students have received the COVID-19 vaccination in order to be present at the institution's facilities without being required to wear a facemask."

But the measure does not prevent public universities and colleges from establishing a universal requirement for face coverings for all students and staff regardless of vaccination status, according to the high court.

"In fact, the proviso implicitly contemplates there could be a universal mask mandate, but its terms prohibit only discrimination against unvaccinated individuals by requiring them to wear masks when vaccinated individuals are exempt from that requirement," the unanimous opinion reads.

The university's interim president, Harris Pastides, said in a statement Tuesday evening that in light of the court's ruling, he would require face coverings in buildings "effective immediately" to slow the spread of the virus.

Associated Press reports were used in this article.