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The Beaufort County Schools Board of Education on Tuesday voted 7-2 in favor of keeping masks optional for students and employees.

State law requires each school board to have a mask policy in place and vote monthly on whether they want to modify it.

Board member Carolyn Walker said it’s too early to know if a change is needed.

“With today being the first day back, I don’t see how we how prolific or not COVID is going to be — or Omicron — in our system,” Walker said.