Masking debate continues in Franklin Regional as school year nears

The divide among those in favor of universal masking and those against it was on stark display again this week, with a sizable contingent this time asking that the Franklin Regional school board reconsider its stance that masking be optional in the coming school year.

“Other local school districts are recognizing these conditions and requiring universal masking,” parent Ross Eaton said Monday. “What primary medical literature led this board to disregard the advice of the country’s leading medical experts?”

Rachel Sharon of Murrysville is a physician assistant and a professor at Seton Hill University.

“I teach evidence-based medicine,” Sharon said. “Research is my bread and butter. That’s what gets us through this. When we’re looking at data, here’s what we know: the delta variant has changed things. Kids don’t have immunity to it, and they don’t have the option to get vaccinated.”

Parent Michael Brush said he refused to “teach my kids irrational fear.”

“The government is not the parent of my children. It’s very frustrating,” Brush said. “If you wear a mask and you think they work, great. But don’t worry about me.”

At the board’s Aug. 2 meeting, school director Bill Yant bemoaned the fact that groups like the CDC and state education department had not issued masking guidelines similar to last year. Board solicitor Gary Matta shared a similar view on Monday.

“The parties that should be making this decision are the legislature, the state health department and the governor’s office, and they’ve clearly punted it,” he said. “And it’s questionable at best whether a school board has the authority to mandate a device like a mask in schools. I believe that authority lies with something like a county health department, the state or the federal government.”

Matta’s law firm also serves as solicitor for the Moon Area School District, which did institute mandatory masking this month. The solicitor at that meeting, attorney Jack Cambest, did not caution the Moon board regarding its authority in the same way Matta did Franklin Regional.

Matta could not be immediately reached for comment.

Parent Jesse McPherson said the emergence of the delta variant has changed the landscape.

“I really don’t like wearing this mask,” he said. “I do it to show respect to other people. And I’m vaccinated, but 50.1% of Westmoreland County isn’t. This delta variant is much worse, and kids are getting it. I don’t know if it’s going to be deadly for them, but I don’t want to take the risk.”

School director Gregg Neavin apologized that the district “can’t possibly make a decision that works for everyone.”

“But I can assure you, nobody on this board or administration is acting in a cavalier or unconcerned way,” he said.

Matta said those who should be making the masking decision are in Harrisburg.

“The secretary of education was asked if school boards had the authority (to institute mask mandates), and he said he was unsure,” Matta said. “They’re kicking this back. At this point, the board has made a decision (for optional masking). It may change as time goes on … but if there is a mandating order from any of the government entities that can do so, the board will follow it.”

Matta said state officials “are dividing communities about something they should be leading on.”

Franklin Regional students head back to school on Aug. 23.