Madison County Schools drop all COVID restrictions: ‘It’s been a long two years’

MADISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) - For the first time in two years, Madison County students and teachers walked into their schools without a single COVID-19 regulation to worry about. And Superintendent Charlotte Seals says the decision has been a long time coming.

“This is something we’ve been monitoring for all along,” she said. “And so we’re at a point now where you will say that there’s low transmission within the community, within our school district and within our schools.”

Tuesday, Seals signed a letter stating the district would no longer require masks on any school property and on school buses. Visitors are allowed back on campus for lunch, visitation and activities. And Seals says by allowing those things again, the school atmosphere will improve.

“By being able to go back to pre-COVID times, I think those extras that make the culture of your building so strong, we’ll be able to strengthen that.”

And after making the announcement on Facebook, the district received messages thanking the school district and supporting the decision. But most importantly, Seals says this decision will bring a sense of normalcy back to teachers and students.

“Our parents, our community, our teachers, really, really want to be able to fully engage. It’s been a long, two years. And so I think overwhelmingly, most people understand and want to see that return to normalcy.”

Seals adds that for people who are still concerned with COVID-19, students will be able to choose to quarantine and receive excused absences and any positive COVID-19 cases in classrooms will be reported.

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