Mount Airy is a community of caring people. This pilot prioritizes keeping everyone learning and growing while maintaining health and wellness measures. Our Test-to-Stay program allows students and staff deemed as close contacts to remain at school as long as they are asymptomatic. We have been blessed to have very little COVID impact, for example, we haven’t needed to quarantine sports teams or schools this year. This has allowed us to be in school all of last year and this year. Our community has been very supportive, understanding that to return to face-to-face, five days a week we needed to follow CDC, NCDHHS, and local health department guidance.

We are thankful for the outpouring of support throughout the pandemic which has resulted in, not only retaining our students, but growing in numbers. Mount Airy City Schools (MACS) has been successful over the years due in major part to the community of which we belong. Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a periodic column in The Mount Airy News featuring commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County.

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