MERCER COUNTY, Ky. — After the statewide mask mandate for Kentucky schools expired Friday, individual school districts were left with the decision on how to proceed.
What You Need To Know
- Only 5 Kentucky school districts decide not to require masks as mandate ends
- Burgin, Mercer, Science Hill Independent Schools, Clinton and Hickman are making masks optional
- So far, 96% of Kentucky school districts will require masks
- Republican lawmakers axed the KBE mask mandate for public schools during last week's special session
As schools across the Commonwealth are working to navigate the pandemic, a Mercer County parent expressed support for the optional mask requirement.
Michael Craig has a child in Mercer County Public Schools. He said he doesn't have a problem with masks being optional.
"I don’t really see any issues and my son being autistic its kind of hard to keep a mask on him but the children that can comply, I think its a good way to keep it contained," Craig said.
This week, officials with Mercer County Public Schools announced they will only be encouraging masks rather than requiring them – unless infection rates rise in the district.
Although Michael and Rebecca Craig’s 4-year-old son Raiden is ineligible for the vaccine, they feel like their child is safer in the classroom with the mask.
"Hopefully its all for the best like I said I really don’t see a problem with wearing one. I think its probably going to help more than it’s going to hurt people," Craig said.
With the make mandate now expired in Kentucky schools, a statewide count shows 96% of Kentucky’s 171 school districts decided to extend universal masking.
The districts that have made masks optional are Burgin, Mercer, Science Hill Independent, Clinton and Hickman.
On Thursday, during Gov. Andy Beshear's COVID-19 update, he blasted schools choosing not to require them.
"If you are a school district that is not requiring universal masking you are directly endangering the children, the staff, the faculty, everybody who is in each of your buildings and it is an inexcusable decision," the governor said.
In Mercer County, the daily incident rate per 100,000 residents topped 106 and the Kentucky Department for Public Health has reported a total of 59 COVID-19 deaths in the county.
The unvaccinated father said he wants to ditch his mask too, but only when it's safe for everyone.
"The kids are the future you know, without them we’re not going to have anything. That’s why we have them in schools to teach them things," Craig said.
In a letter sent to parents, Mercer County Public Schools superintendent said they are rewarding employees $200 to get vaccinated against COVID-19.