Lauderdale County School District

Masks will be optional when Lauderdale County School District students return to school in early August. 

“We’re going to let it be a parental decision, so parents will decide to send their children to school with a mask or without a mask,” said DeShannon Davis, the district’s director of Career and Technical Education and assistant Human Resources director, Title IX Coordinator, and COVID-19 Liaison. 

District leaders unveiled their back to school “Return to Learn” plan during a school board meeting Thursday night.  

Davis said the decision to make masks optional was made after consulting with school nurses and administrators. Temperatures will be checked each morning, but students, staff and faculty will not be tested for COVID-19.

When school starts in August, the district will follow a traditional schedule, offering in-person instruction. Distance learning will be provided if in-person learning is interrupted, Davis said. If COVID-19 cases rise, the district has quarantine procedures in place, she said.

Superintendent John-Mark Cain said district leaders chose in-person instruction because there were dips in student achievement last school year, when distance learning was offered.

“We feel it’s vital that we get our students back in the classroom, so that we can have that face-to-face instruction,” Cain said.