Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
17 <br /> 1 Slide #1 <br /> MASKING UPDATES DF l� <br /> 1. OCS follows all local Orange County mask mandates. <br /> 2. Decisions regarding masking plans are reviewed with the ABC Science <br /> Collaborative and the Orange County Health Department, <br /> 3. Plans are in place to lift mask requirements when mask mandate is lifted <br /> MSKI <br /> 4. High filtration masks(N95IKN9513-Ply Surgical)are available to all staff <br /> members. <br /> 5. Parents/guardians can request high filtration masks for students. <br /> 6. Mask exemptions are authorized for individuals meeting waiver criteria. <br /> 7. Mask compliance checks continue to take place in schools and buildings. <br /> ENGAGE. CHALLENGE. INSPIRE. <br /> 2 <br /> 3 Jarwin Hester, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, said that change in the <br /> 4 COVID-19 variant provided the opportunity to review masking and filtration. He said masks are <br /> 5 readily available for staff members. He said there is a high compliance rate for masking in <br /> 6 schools. <br /> 7 Chair Carrie Doyle said that there was a presentation at the board meeting which <br /> 8 informed the school district's decision to change the mask requirement. <br /> 9 Dr. Felder said that the district also consulted with the Orange County Public Health <br /> 10 department. She said both the ABC Collaborative and Public Health were in agreement. <br /> 11 Commissioner McKee expressed his appreciation for the Orange County Schools for <br /> 12 meeting in person and for allowing Orange County Government to have the opportunity to lift <br /> 13 their mask mandate first. <br /> 14 Chair Price asked for clarification of the time frame for mask relaxation. <br /> 15 Sylvia Compton said lunch time rules are slowly being relaxed. <br /> 16 Dr. Hamlett said that SB 173 is being discussed in the general assembly and that it will <br /> 17 not allow districts to require masks if it becomes law. She said it would allow the parents to <br /> 18 decide about masks for children. She said as of now, the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools <br /> 19 district is still requiring masks. She said they are continuing to eat outdoors so they will continue <br /> 20 to take advantage of that. She said they will discuss this topic again on March 3. <br /> 21 <br /> 22 ii. Mental Health Supports <br /> 23 <br /> 24 The districts did not have anything further to add. <br /> 25 <br /> 26 iii. Teacher retention & recruitment <br /> 27 <br /> 28 Board Member Rani Dasi said Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools is in a crisis for teacher <br /> 29 recruitment and retention. She said in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, they had 228 <br /> 30 and 246 resignations, respectively. She said in the current year, they have already had 198 <br /> 31 resignations, an increase of seventy-seven from the same time frame last year. She said the <br /> 32 district is working creatively to address teacher shortages. She said that other districts are <br /> 33 beginning to outpace Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools ability to provide salary supplements. <br />