West Jefferson Hills, Baldwin-Whitehall districts determine differing masking requirements

Two South Hills school districts have different policies in place when it comes to masking, now that the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court has affirmed a lower court ruling that Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of health didn’t have the authority to issue a mask mandate for schools earlier this school year.

Now, to mask or not to mask is a decision left up to individual school districts in the state.

Beginning today, masks are optional at West Jefferson Hills School District. At the Nov. 22 school board meeting, the school board approved changes to the health and safety plan.

“The changes included making mask-wearing recommended, but not required when a mandate was no longer in place,” said Jeff Nelson, public relations coordinator for the district.

At Baldwin-Whitehall School District, students are still required to mask, per the district’s health and safety plan that “requires masks must be worn by students, staff and visitors within all indoor spaces.”

The district cited the steady growth of cases in its schools since the Thanksgiving break and that not enough time has passed to allow the 5-11 age group to become fully vaccinated among its reasons for keeping masks in place.

Superintendent Dr. Randal Lutz said that he will be both meeting with and surveying various stakeholder groups within the district to discuss future plans and will continue to examine and adapt the district’s health and safety plan in the new year.

The districts will still require masking on school busses, per federal law.