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Face Coverings On School Buses Update - August 26 2021
Face Coverings On School Buses Update - August 26 2021
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
MOLLY M. SPEARMAN
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION
MEMORANDUM
The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announced on July 6, 2021, that it would
no longer enforce the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) January 29, 2021,
Order that requires the use of face coverings by people on public transportation conveyances and
hubs, which includes school buses. This decision was made at a time when COVID-19
transmission rates and case counts across South Carolina were very low.
Throughout the pandemic, the SCDE has updated its COVID-19 guidance as conditions have
changed and as more information has become available. It has become apparent based on
COVID-19 data being reported by schools along with increasing levels of the highly
transmissible Delta variant in local communities, that more protective measures are needed to
lower the risk of virus transmission and keep our schools open and operating as safely as
possible.
For this reason, the SCDE will again enforce the CDC’s Order requiring the use of face
coverings by students and staff on state owned and operated school buses. All districts
must be in compliance with this requirement no later than Monday, August 30, 2021.
To facilitate adherence to the CDC Order, the SCDE will equip all state-owned school buses
with an adequate supply of face coverings that meet CDC Order requirements. If a student
boards a bus without a face covering, bus drivers should offer the student a face covering.
However, no student should be denied transportation for failing to adhere to the CDC Order.
The following are attributes of masks needed to fulfill the requirements of the CDC Order.
The following attributes are additionally acceptable as long as masks meet the
requirements above.
• Masks can be either manufactured or homemade.
• Masks can be reusable or disposable.
• Masks can have inner filter pockets.
• Clear masks or cloth masks with a clear plastic panel may be used to facilitate
communication with people who are hearing impaired or others who need to see a
speaker’s mouth to understand speech.
• Medical masks and N-95 respirators fulfill the requirements of the Order.
The following narrow subset of persons with disabilities are exempt from the CDC’s
requirement to wear a mask:
• A person with a disability who, for reasons related to the disability, would be physically
unable to remove a mask without assistance if breathing becomes obstructed. Examples
might include a person with impaired motor skills, quadriplegia, or limb restrictions.
• A person with an intellectual, developmental, cognitive, or psychiatric disability that
affects the person’s ability to understand the need to remove a mask if breathing becomes
obstructed.
The following persons with disabilities might be exempt from the CDC’s requirement to wear a
mask based on factors specific to the person:
• A person with a disability who cannot wear a mask because it would cause the person to
be unable to breathe or have respiratory distress if a mask were worn over the mouth and
nose. A person with a condition that causes intermittent respiratory distress, such as
asthma, likely does not qualify for this exemption because people with asthma, or other
similar conditions, can generally wear a mask safely.
• A person with a disability requiring the use of an assistive device, such as for mobility or
communication, that prevents the person from wearing a mask and wearing or using the
assistive device at the same time. If use of the device is intermittent and the person can
remove the mask independently to use the device, then a mask must be worn during
periods when the person is not using the device.
• A person with a severe sensory disability or a severe mental health disability who would
pose an imminent threat of harm to themselves or others if required to wear a mask.
Persons who experience discomfort or anxiety while wearing a mask without imminent
threat of harm would not qualify for this exemption.
A driver does not need to wear a mask if they are the only person on the bus.
Additional guidance for safe school bus operations and the CDC Order can be found in the
references below.
References:
• https://www2.ed.gov/documents/coronavirus/reopening.pdf
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/face-masks-public-
transportation.html
• https://scdhec.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/2021.2022-School-Guidance-
Booklet-08.25.2021.pdf