ROCK HILL, S.C. — Rock Hill School leaders have voted to allow mask breaks during school. The decision came after school leaders spoke about making updates to the face mask mandate during Monday night’s school board meeting.
Prior to the vote, students and staff were required to keep face coverings on throughout the day while on school property with the exception of mealtime and recess.
The mandate is now more lenient, allowing students to have mask breaks when six feet apart. The conditions of the break would depend on the grade level of each student.
Pre-K students would be allowed to take their masks off during naptime. Elementary students would be allowed to remove their face coverings for 10 minutes each hour. Middle and high school students would be allowed a mask break up to 10 minutes during each period.
Students will also be able to remove their masks during physical education class when social distancing can be maintained and in band classes, when the student is playing an instrument with a mouthpiece.
The measure passed in a 6-1 vote. Brent Faulkenberry was the sole trustee against it. He was concerned it might slow down the return to class five days a week.
See all the mask exceptions below.
Rock Hill students returned to class on September 8. The district was among the last in the area to return to school.
Schools reopened under a hybrid plan, so only half of the students are in the building at once while the others do virtual learning.
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