Mask mandate set to end in Troup County Schools

TROUP COUNTY, Ga. (WTVM) - The Troup County School System has announced a change in its mask policy.

Beginning Monday, October 18, wearing masks in schools will be optional, but ‘highly recommended’ the district says. Superintendent Dr. Brian T. Shumate says the ‘highly recommended’ status will remain in place unless a school’s positive coronavirus numbers become greater than 1% of their total student enrollment.

School officials say support of safety practices such as mask wearing, social distancing, temperature screening, and restricting visitors led to this decision.

“...If the school’s enrollment is 500, the school will continue to have the option of wearing a mask until they have 5 or more positive cases within the school. Once that threshold is reached, that particular school will return to required masks until cases decline to the half-percent mark, which in this case would be 3 or less. If multiple schools across the county have reached their one percent threshold and we reach a critical mass, all schools will return to the mask requirement.”

As of today, the system reports there are 14 positive coronavirus cases among students and none among staff members.

Masks will continue to be required while on school buses. The school system says it will continue to monitor each school’s positivity rate.

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