Starting Friday, masks are optional inside Madison County Schools buildings

Beginning Friday, Sept. 24, Madison County Schools students will no longer be required to wear masks in the district’s school buildings but will be required to wear masks on school buses, the school district announced in a Thursday, Sept. 23, letter to families.

Madison County Schools Director of Communications Gene Wright said Madison County Schools will transition to COVID-19 Protocol Level 1 on Friday, Sept. 24. She said a letter signed by Superintendent Charlotte A. Seals was sent to Madison County Schools families communicating the transition.

“This protocol recommends but does not require mask-wearing in school buildings,” Wright said. “Masks will be required on school buses.”

Seal’s letter states that the district has seen a significant decline in COVID-19 cases and quarantines across campuses while observing COVID-19 Protocol Level 3 over the last month.

The Madison County Schools district is operating under a COVID-19 protocol system with Levels 1 through 3. Under Levels 1 and 2 masks are optional for all faculty and students (PreK-12) regardless of vaccination status.

Level 3 states that “all faculty and students (PreK-12) regardless of vaccination status, will wear masks at all times practicable while indoors and on buses.”

The district has been operating under Level 3 since the first day of full student attendance Aug. 13.

“We have worked together to curb the spread of illness by washing hands, watching our distance and wearing masks, and now we are seeing the payoff of these measures firsthand,” Seals said.

The decision is “data-driven” and in line with the district's stated COVID-19 policies, Seals said.

“It is our fervent hope that our COVID-19 numbers will remain low across the district in the coming days and weeks,” Seals’ letter states. “We will continue to closely monitor case numbers at each of our schools and remain ready to pivot should data support modifying our approach to COVID-19 on a campus-by-campus basis.

“Despite the challenges of this pandemic, our students, faculty, and staff have maintained a positive attitude and gotten the year off to a successful start in academics, arts, and athletics. As we balance a greater sense of normalcy with continued concern for the health and safety of our students, we ask you to remain vigilant in stopping the spread of illness. If your child feels unwell, please do not send him or her to school. We encourage you to do all that you can to keep our community healthy so that we can stay safe and stay in school.”