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DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Davidson County School officials decided to keep mask-wearing in place for all students and staff on school property.

The county’s school board held a public meeting at Davis-Townsend Elementary School, where the meeting room filled up quickly with parents and children to voice their opinions about ending the mandate.

After public comment, the school board voted unanimously to keep the current in-school mask mandate.

School Board Chair Alan Beck said the decision to keep the masks was not solely from the board.

“Currently, we’re higher than the rest of the state, and because of that, we are going to continue the next 30 days with wearing the masks,” Beck said.

According to the CDC, Davidson County sits at a high community transmission rate with a test positivity rate of 6.26%.

Parents frustrated with the mandate said it’s more than about safety, but power over the students.

“The parents are in agreeance — they put the mask requirement months ago, because we had over 200 something parents come to these meetings telling them they didn’t want the masks. [Superintendent Dr. Emily Lipe] put the mask requirements not for safety, to control, that’s all this is about,” Polly Leonard said.

Leaders said until the county’s numbers decrease, students and staff will keep the mandate in place for the next 30 days.

“We’re hoping that it comes down so we can take the masks off eventually, but until we go up to that level, we don’t want to come off with the masks. If there’s a tool kit change having anything to do with whether you’re sent home or if you’re not wearing a mask, if anything changes where it makes it available where we’re not sending kids home, we’ll revisit before then'” Beck said.