Mask Exemption Process for K-8 Students
On August 2, 2021, the Craven County Schools Board of Education approved masks to be worn for all students and staff in grades K-8. Exceptions for this recommendation for children by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are as follows:
A child should not wear a face-covering due to any medical or behavioral condition or disability (including, but not limited to, any person who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious or incapacitated, or is otherwise unable to put on or remove the face covering without assistance).
Craven County School implemented a Mask Exemption Request Process for the 2020-2021 school year and will follow the same process for the upcoming school year. In order to request an exemption, the following process will be followed:
1.Parents will pick up the exemption packet from their school principal.
2. Parents will return the completed exemption request and documentation to Mike Swain, Director of Student Services.
3. The Mask Exemption Committee will meet to review the request and documentation. The committee consists of the Director of Student Services, Assistant Director of Exceptional Children, a Classroom Teacher, the School Principal, and the Assistant Lead Nurse.
4.. The committee will review all documentation and reach a decision based on an exemption formula.
5. Parents will be notified, in writing, of the decision reached within 5 business days from the date they submit the completed request packet.
Exemptions that were approved last year will remain in effect. Parents will not be required to request another exemption for this year. If an exemption was not approved, parents may submit again, with proper documentation. To make you aware, there were 82 exemption requests and of those, 74 were approved.
Reminder: All students MUST wear a cloth face mask when riding a school or activity bus. The Mask Exemptions do not apply to buses unless the exemption is based on transportation being a related service as noted in a student's IEP.
