Union County public schools will continue their optional mask policies into the month of September after the board voted 5-4 Tuesday night to continue the policy.

Despite pleas from protesting parents outside, and input from county health officials, the board of education voted 5-4 against a mask mandate. 

Other parents, counter protesting, urged the board to protect parental choice and were hopeful the board would continue the optional policy already in place.


What You Need To Know

With two 5-4 votes, Union County BOE keeps optional mask policy, denies mandate

Union County has more than 5,400 students and staff in quarantine 

A board member supporting mandate says she did it to get asymptomatic, non-positive students and staff out of quarantine


This marks the third time since the summer the UCPS Board of Education has voted on the mask policy. However, the vote is getting closer each time. Just days before schools returned this fall, the board voted 7-2 against a mask mandate. After Tuesday’s meeting, two more board members had joined the mandate side, which they said was an effort to reduce the number of students quarantining. 

Currently, Union County Public Schools has more than 5,400 students and staff in quarantine with 367 positive cases.

The current numbers drove one Union County resident to show up to the pro-mandate protest Tuesday night and stand up for what he felt is his son’s safety and the safety of his classmates. 

“If I feel strongly, I guess it’s kind of putting your money where your mouth is. It’s one thing to sit there and comment on social media or write an email. But, to have a visual presence I think says more,” Mike Miller said from the protest.

Miller, who has a second grader in Union County Public Schools, said this was the first time he has shown up in person before a board meeting.

“I would think reason would bear out, you tried the mask optional, it’s blown up in your face. Institute masks and give our kids a chance,” Miller added.

He said he felt the need to show up in person for his son and other kids, including the children of parents who disagree with him.

“I’m looking out for your kid as well. It’s not just a selfish thing, it’s a compassion thing. And I think in a pandemic, there’s very few instances where you feel like I can take action to do something, stop something or fix something,” Miller said.

As anti-mandate and pro-mandate protests dueled outside, inside, other parents disagreed with Miller.

“I would personally like to thank this board for all of your prior actions to keep UCPS mask optional. What is easy and what is right are often two different things. And, the stance you have elected to take on masks has not been easy, but it has been right,” said parent Brian Helms.

Tuesday night’s meeting lasted nearly four hours as board members and parents weighed in on mask policy. At times, the meeting grew tense as parents lambasted the board’s earlier decisions to keep masks optional, while other parents praised the board for protecting what they consider parental rights.

As the night wore on, the board debated for more than an hour on the district’s quarantine policy of 14 days and the decision to mandate masks as a way to get the non-positive, asymptotic children and staff out of quarantine protocol. Currently, more than 5,400 students and staff are in quarantine. More than 90 cases have been connected back to school contacts, according to UCPS officials during the meeting.

Eventually, the board voted twice. First, they voted against a mask mandate 5 to 4. However, Vice Chair Kathy Heintel voted for the mandate for the first time.

“I am not saying that masks work. I am not saying that I’m fearful of anything with respect to COVID. I am not saying that I am following the science— it’s not based on cases, or deaths or hospitalization. This is the only way to get kids in the schools. I mean 5,400 students sitting at home is not what we want,” Heintel said before her vote.

Minutes later, the board voted again 5 to 4 to continue the district’s current policy of optional masking. A second part of the motion, meant to update the district’s quarantine options, was put on hold pending legal counsel. 

Less than 24 hours after the decision, Miller said at least this time the vote was closer.

“At least there was some recognition that if we wanted to change the approach to quarantine and keep kids in school, masks was the only way to go,” Miller said at his home.

But, Miller revealed just hours before Tuesday night’s meeting, his son’s school called saying he was a close contact to a positive case.

“It was a moment of dread, but then it was a moment of optimism. At least our son wears a mask,” he said.

And he will keep wearing one, whether the board mandates it or not.

Union County’s next regularly scheduled board of education meeting will be on Tuesday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m. Per existing state law, the board will have to revisit the district’s mask policy on a monthly basis, according to Chairperson Melissa Merrell.