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By Mike Barnhardt
Enterprise Record

When Davie County Schools students went to school on Wednesday morning, they didn’t have to wear a mask.
Members of the Davie Board of Eduction on Tuesday evening unanimously voted to make masking optional.
Superintendent Jeff Wallace said his recommendation came after consulting with health officials and other school systems that had already made masking optional, and with looking at the COVID numbers in the Davie schools and community.
All COVID protocols – including quarantines – will remain the same, and students will still be required to wear a mask on buses.
The decision could change if metrics change, Wallace said.
“I hope we’re not being short-sighted,” said board member Dub Potts. “I want everybody to know that, when we have problems, this thing could change. We experienced that in Auguest, it wasn’t pleasant, and I hope we don’t have to experience that again.”
Board member Cammie Webb asked Wallace if he expects more quarantines with masking optional.
“Logically thinking, yes,” Wallace said, “but in talking to two different counties that are optional, their numbers are relatively low.” One had an initial spike in cases, but it quickly went down. “We just don’t know, but I am concerned about the number of quarantines.”
Wallace said that in Davie County, it is rare when a student in quarantine tests positive for COVID. He put that number at less than 1%.
“We’re going to follow the numbers, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Wallace said the board has the option of requiring masks at certain schools if clusters or a high number of cases occur.
On Tuesday, there were 14 students in the school system with COVID, as well as five staff members. There were 81 students in quarantine, 3 staff members.