COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is no longer requiring the use of masks on state-owned school buses. The move comes after recent updates to the guidance for K-12 schools from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC announced on February 25, 2022 that “it is exercising its enforcement discretion to not require that people wear masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care programs. CDC is making this change to align with updated guidance that no longer recommends universal indoor mask wearing in K-12 schools and early education settings in areas with a low or medium COVID-19 Community Level.”
While the state education department is no longer requiring the use of masks on school buses, officials says school districts have discretion to require masks on school buses, as is the case with other school facilities, in line with CDC and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control guidance.