Masks now optional in Beaufort Co. public schools By Kristen Rary | May 12, 2021 at 4:23 PM EDT - Updated May 12 at 6:35 PM BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - Following the executive order from the governor of South Carolina, some school districts in the Lowcountry are lifting more COVID-19 restrictions. If you have a child who goes to school in Beaufort County, masks are officially optional. Governor Henry McMaster issued an executive order Tuesday evening requiring schools to allow parents to make a choice on whether their children will wear a mask in school. In Beaufort County, parents must send a note to the child’s school saying they do not have to wear a mask. The governor stated DHEC will be releasing a form parents can officially sign later.