FORT MILL, S.C. — The Palmetto State is one of five states under federal investigation by the Department of Education. The feds are looking to see if the state is discriminating against students with disabilities by banning school mask mandates in schools.
Some parents welcome the investigation, hoping it will create action and allow masks to be required in schools to protect their children.
"It's kind of like the government has failed us on every level," Christa Kedar, a mother in Fort Mill, said. "It feels as though all these parents are stuck."
Her daughter was supposed to walk into kindergarten this school year, but because of South Carolina state law, Fort Mill Schools cannot require masks.
"She's too fragile," Kedar said. "You don't know what this variant is going to do to kids, you don't know what this virus is going to do long-term, so why risk it?"
Her daughter's doctor told her to keep her home, especially when factoring in the kindergartener's asthma.
South Carolina public schools are bound by Proviso 1.108 which was passed by the General Assembly. This Proviso prevents school districts from requiring face coverings in schools. The use of face coverings by students and staff within school facilities remains a recommendation of state and federal public health officials and Proviso 1.108 does not prevent districts from encouraging the wearing of face coverings in these settings.
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If a district requires masks in the classroom, they could risk losing state funding.
"It made me sad," Kedar said as she got choked up.
The decision to homeschool her daughter was a tough one to explain to her little one.
"She always talks about, 'When am I going to see my friends,'" she said.
Monday, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in part in a statement his department, "...has heard from parents from across the country — particularly parents of students with disabilities and with underlying medical conditions —about how state bans on universal indoor masking are putting their children at risk and preventing them from accessing in-person learning equally."
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster fired back, saying in part, "this is just another attempt by the Biden Administration and to force a radical liberal agenda on states and people who disagree with them."
McMaster insisted that parents should decide what's best for their children instead of lawmakers.
Based on the conclusion of the investigation, South Carolina could lose federal education funds.
Contact Hunter Sáenz at hsaenz@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.