Seneca Valley School Board To Consider Changing Mask Requirement
HARMONY, Pa. (KDKA) - The Seneca Valley School District has one of the longest-tenured mask mandates since the COVID pandemic began. But that could be changing soon despite warnings from health leaders.
Pennsylvania has not had a school mask mandate in place since December when a state Supreme Court ruling ended it. Since then, school districts have been making their own mask rules.
Seneca Valley has had its own mask mandate in place, but now the issue will go up for debate during Monday's upcoming school board meeting.
"My son has asthma and he does okay with it because he has to but it's 2022 now and I think it's time," said Ms. Patty.
Ms. Patty says the frustration of washing her son's mask every day is constant and she believes everybody should have a choice.
"Sign a waiver. If you wanna wear it, if you don't wanna wear it, I think that's where we should go," she said. "I don't think we should force the kids to wear them."
Meanwhile, doctors say progress has been made, but don't think transmission rates are where they need to be just yet. According to the CDC, all counties in our area still have high transmission rates.
"I am fully confident that it will be safe to have kids take masks off in school, particularly in schools that have high vaccination rates. My worry is is that we're not quite there yet," said Dr. Megan Ranney.
WATCH: KDKA's Lindsay Ward reports
Parent Isha Nguya says no matter what Monday's ruling is, her child will continue wearing a mask in the classroom.
"I still keep it on my kids to make sure everybody is safe, to make sure they aren't contracting anything at school," Isha Nguya said.
If the school board votes to drop the mandate, it will go from mandatory to strongly recommended. The new rules would go into effect on Feb. 28.
Meanwhile, the CDC recommends all schools to still encourage mask-wearing while indoors as case numbers remain high.