Most local school districts move to mask-optional policies following court ruling

Many local school districts are using last week’s state Supreme Court ruling striking down the state’s mask mandate in schools to return to mask-optional policies in their buildings.

The state Department of Health in late August ordered that face coverings be worn by everyone in all school buildings. Gov. Tom Wolf announced in November that he would turn over decisions about masking to local school officials starting Jan. 17.

But on Dec. 10, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that the acting secretary of health did not have the authority to issue the mask mandate.

The ruling gives local districts the power to restore their preferred mask policies now, instead of waiting for five weeks.

Some districts are holding onto their mask mandates, at least temporarily. Others are using the court’s decision to swiftly put the decision about masks in the hands of parents. One district decided to drop its mask requirement but will wait until next month to implement the change.

The state court’s ruling does not change the federal requirement that students and drivers wear masks while on school buses.

The decision by many districts to make masks optional also comes amid a surge in coronavirus cases across the state and country.

Many hospitals, including those in Western Pennsylvania, reported that they are operating at, or near, capacity to deal with the spike in cases.

In Westmoreland County, Hempfield Area School District returned to a mask-optional policy this week following the court ruling.

In a letter sent to families over the weekend and citing the district’s Health & Safety Plan, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said: “The parent shall determine if the child wears a mask while attending school.”

The district’s health and safety plan, which was updated in November, states that officials will support the wearing of masks as parents request. The plan also states that once the mask mandate is lifted, teachers will seat students wearing masks in the same area within classrooms when feasible to limit the number of students quarantining.

Other mitigation efforts will remain in place, including 3 feet of social distancing and cleaning of facilities.

Other school districts in Westmoreland County that have returned to mask-optional policies include Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant Area, Norwin and Penn-Trafford.

“The district nursing staff will continue to monitor positive cases and student quarantines, and, if there is a sharp increase in either, the board reserves the right to revise the policy,” Jeannette Superintendent Matt Jones said.

Derry Area school officials had a meeting Monday to decide, with Greater Latrobe set to meet Tuesday and Ligonier Valley on Wednesday.

Among the nine school districts in the Alle-Kiski Valley, only four — Allegheny Valley, Highlands, New Kensington-Arnold and Riverview — are keeping mask mandates.

Allegheny Valley School District’s spokesperson Jan Zastawniak said its mask mandate will remain in place until the board decides otherwise.

“Masks are mandated by the district’s health and safety plan that was approved by the school board in August 2021,” Zastawniak said. “The plan is in effect until it is changed and those changes are approved by the school board.”

The board’s next scheduled meeting is Jan. 11.

The Highlands School District sent out an email and phone call message Dec. 13 reminding parents that masks and face coverings must continue to be worn on campus and while riding buses.

Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said student safety is the district’s top priority.

“I respect both viewpoints, and, hopefully, there will come a day when we look back and wonder how we survived it,” she said.

The school board voted Dec. 6 to require masks until covid cases decrease, but the benchmark for cases and timeline for when that might occur remains unclear.

Masks also will be required at all school-sponsored events, including sports and concerts.

The agenda for each school board meeting provides the option to revise the district’s health and safety plan, district spokeswoman Jennifer Goldberg said.

The Highlands School Board’s next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 10 to review the agenda. The voting session is scheduled for Jan. 17.

Jon Banko, assistant superintendent for the New Kensington-Arnold School District, said masks will continue to be required until the school board drops the mandate.

“Mask-wearing is a preventive measure established in our Health and Safety Plan, which went into effect in early August,” he said. “At this time, the New Kensington-Arnold School District will continue to require masks with its schools. We expect that the school board will revisit the topic at its next meeting in January.”

School districts that decided to drop their mask mandates after last week’s ruling already approved state-required health and safety plans eliminating them.

But those plans couldn’t be implemented without violating the governor’s mandate, which became a moot point with Friday’s decision by the high court.

The Burrell School District alerted families Sunday that students no longer had to wear masks.

Superintendent Shannon Wagner said the Supreme Court ruling now allows the district to follow the wishes of the school board to make masks optional.

The Leechburg Area School District also is returning to its former health and safety plan, which made masks optional in schools, according to a letter sent to district families Friday.

Superintendent Tiffany Nix said the district will follow a “mask optional, but recommended” policy for students.

“I want all stakeholders to be aware that it is impossible to separate our students 6-feet apart in the vast majority of settings in our school,” Nix wrote to families. “Because of this, and in anticipation of many not wearing masks, our quarantine number of individuals will likely rise.”

Shawn Annarelli, a spokesman for the Deer Lakes School District, said the district also is making masks optional.

He said district officials “highly recommend” that students and staff continue to wear masks to help slow the spread of coronavirus and that the district will follow all county, state and federal mandates.

The Kiski Area School District also said that as of Dec. 13, masks would be optional.

Superintendent Misty Slavic announced Saturday that the district would revert to a Health and Safety Plan approved by the school board in August, before the governor’s mask mandate was enacted.

That plan made masks optional for students, staff and visitors at all school buildings and on school grounds.

Freeport Area School Board President Adam Toncini said the court decision prompted district officials to revert to its health and safety plan approved in August, which makes masks optional.

“Whenever the Supreme Court vacated that on Friday, it had been after school had been let out,” Toncini said Monday. “Today was our first day of school back with optional masking.”

He said the board could revisit the district’s health and safety plan at its Dec. 16 meeting but said: “I don’t believe that (safety) plan to be changing.”

Plum School District officials passed a measure in November making masks optional once the state mandate has been lifted.

But district officials have decided until Jan. 11 before allowing staff and students to go without face coverings.