North Allegheny reverses mask policy for 2nd time, back to giving parents the choice

The North Allegheny School District has done an about-face for a second time by voting to give parents the choice on whether kids should wear masks when they return to school from summer break on Monday.

Last week, the district revised its health and safety plan for the return to full, in-person instruction by requiring all staff and students to wear masks in buildings.

The decision reversed the school board’s unanimous vote in June for a health and safety plan that left the mask decision up to parents.

But during the Aug. 18 board meeting, school directors debated the issue past 1 a.m. before voting 6-3 to go back to letting parents decide if their kids should wear masks.

The change in the policy only “strongly recommends” they be worn by students and staff.

School directors Kevin Mahler, Allyson Minton and Elizabeth Warner voted against switching back to making masks optional.

The district issued a statement this morning saying the board will reconsider its mask policy during its Sept. 22 meeting.

Because the board gave the administration the power to make changes to the health and safety plan, Superintendent Melissa Friez was only scheduled to make a presentation at Wednesday’s meeting detailing the data used to decide whether or not masks would be required in class.

Giving the decision-making power to the superintendent, however, does not eliminate an independently elected school director’s right to call for a board vote, which must receive a second before it can be debated and considered, according to a district spokesperson.

The administration’s decision to reverse the policy on masks by making them mandatory was based on an analysis of covid-19 data from the last school year along with county and community statistics from the past month.

The Allegheny County Health Department and the district physician also were consulted when crafting the revised policy.

District officials also cited guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Allegheny County Health Department that students who wear masks and remain between 3- and 6-feet apart would not have to be quarantined if they come into contact with a person who has tested positive for covid-19.

There were 421 positive covid-19 cases reported last year among students and 120 among staff.

Last school year, the district issued 9,293 quarantine notices to students and staff who tested positive for coronavirus or were in close contact with an infected person while inside, or outside, of school.

Among students, 1,286 had to be quarantined at least twice, 653 were quarantined three times and 262 were quarantined four times.

An additional 38 students in the district had to undergo quarantine six or more times, including one student who was quarantined nine times.

Among the staff, 519 were quarantined, which includes 362 who had to stay home one time and 157 who were quarantined twice.

Even though the state has lifted the mask requirement and 6-foot distancing during lunches, the policy approved in June already required NA students to be seated at least 3-feet apart while eating.

The policy also calls for students and staff members to socially distance as much as possible when in hallways and stairways, and students will be provided with locations at each school to store athletic and instrumental gear.

Staff also will be asked not to gather in communal spaces such as copier rooms and teacher lounges during breaks or planning sessions.

If the district is required to reduce the density in its buildings because of covid-19 spread, it plans to switch to a hybrid instructional model that was used last year.

During hybrid, half the students attend on Mondays and Tuesday and the other half goes on Thursdays and Fridays. All students attend remotely on Wednesdays during hybrid learning.

Full remote instruction could kick in if health officials determine that the community is at a “heightened risk” for contracting the virus.

District officials noted that remote instruction differs from the NA Cyber Academy because it is an extension of in-person classes that are taught by a student’s classroom teacher and mimics the school day whenever possible.