2021 School Mask Guide
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- As many aspects of everyday life continue to change and evolve amid the COVID-19 pandemic, education is one area that is included in that conversation.
When students returned to the classroom in the fall, school districts were all implementing different guidelines when it came to masks and face coverings, vaccines, and COVID-19.
In late August, Governor Tom Wolf announced that masks would be required to be worn in all Pennsylvania K-12 schools.
After numerous lawsuits were filed and hearings were held, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the mandate, again allowing each district to implement their own policy when it comes to the wearing of masks in its school buildings.
Below is an extensive and comprehensive guide to what each school district (listed by county) is requiring or mandating when it comes to masks, along with any information and links to further reading material. For the latest information, be sure to visit each school district's website, as information may have changed after being published.
Allegheny County
Allegheny Valley
Allegheny Valley School District announced it will be mandating students to wear masks during the 2021-2022 school year.
Avonworth
Masks will be required. Read more.
Baldwin-Whitehall
The wearing of masks will be optional unless mandated by the Pa. Secretary of Health, Governor, or other governing authority. Read more.
Bethel Park
Masks are required in all district-owned buildings, structures and transportation for the duration of the first semester. Read more.
Brentwood
Masks are recommended for anyone who is not vaccinated. This is a recommendation only, not a requirement. Read more.
Carlynton
All students and staff will be required to wear a mask indoors while the transmission rate of COVID-19 in Allegheny County is designated as substantial or high by the CDC.
Catholic Diocese Of Pittsburgh
Masks will be required inside school buildings.
Chartiers Valley
Masks will not be required on school property. Read more.
Clairton
All students and staff will be required to wear masks.
Cornell
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Deer Lakes
Face coverings will be optional for everyone in school buildings. Read more.
Duquesne
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
East Allegheny
Masks will be required.
Elizabeth Forward
The wearing of masks for staff and students will be optional. Read more.
Fort Cherry
The district says that all federal and state mandates will be followed when it comes to mask-wearing. Read more.
Fox Chapel Area
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Gateway
The wearing of masks will be optional.
Hampton
The wearing of masks for staff and students will be on a voluntary basis. Read more.
Highlands
The wearing of masks will be voluntary by all students and staff unless there is a Universal Face Coverings Order that requires it by the Department of Health, CDC, or the state. Read more.
Keystone Oaks
Masks will be required for anyone in all Keystone Oaks school buildings. Read more.
McKeesport Area
The wearing of masks for staff and students will be optional.
Montour
Mask wearing will be mandatory.
Moon Area
Starting on January 17, masks will be recommended, but not required.
Mt. Lebanon
Masks will be required for all individuals in school buildings regardless of vaccination status. Read more.
North Allegheny
Masks are required for students and staff through January 17, 2022. Masks will be strongly recommended beginning January 18, 2022.
Northgate
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
North Hills
Masks are required for all students and staff in district buildings during school hours when Allegheny County has a high and substantial community transmission level for COVID-19. Allegheny County is currently at a high level of community transmission.
Penn Hills
Masks are required, but the district says the school board will be meeting to discuss plans for masking.
Penn-Trafford
Masks are optional for all staff, visitors, and students of all ages. Read more.
Pine-Richland
The district recommends masking of unvaccinated individuals but will not require or mandate masking. Read more.
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Teachers, staff and students age 2 or higher will wear masks.
Plum Borough
Masks will be required through January 11. After January 11, mask-wearing will be optional.
Quaker Valley
"Universal indoor masking in all Quaker Valley schools and offices will be required until the transmission rate in the county is reduced, or when the Board amends the current Health and Safety Plan."
Riverview
All staff and students must wear masks in accordance with CDC and State and County Health Department mandates and guidance. Read more.
Shaler
Unvaccinated individuals are encouraged to wear a mask. Read more.
South Allegheny
The district says it will follow mask guidelines as issued by the Allegheny County Health Department and Pa. Department of Health. Read more.
South Fayette
All individuals must wear a mask when inside school buildings regardless of vaccination status. Read more.
South Park
The district strongly recommends, but does not require, the use of face coverings by unvaccinated individuals while in district buildings, unless mask-wearing is mandated by local, state, or federal government. Read more.
Steel Valley
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Sto-Rox
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Upper St. Clair
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
West Allegheny
Masks are encouraged for unvaccinated staff and students when six feet of social distancing is not possible, but all decisions for students will be made on a voluntary basis, at parents' discretion. Read more.
West Jefferson Hills
The district will not require that masks be worn in the building unless mandated by the appropriate authorities, but encourages the entire community to follow the CDC's and Allegheny County Health Department's guidelines. Read more.
West Mifflin
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time. .
Wilkinsburg
All students must wear masks during the school day. Read more.
Woodland Hills
Masks will be required for anyone inside school buildings, regardless of vaccination status. Read more.
Armstrong County
Allegheny-Clarion Valley
Face coverings are optional for all individuals (staff, students, parents, and visitors), but the district encourages individuals to wear a face covering. Read more.
Apollo-Ridge
The wearing of masks, aside from on school transportation, will be optional and voluntary for all students and staff. Read more.
Armstrong
Students, staff and visitors are not required to wear face coverings in school. Anyone who prefers to wear a face covering in school is permitted to do so. Read more.
Freeport
The district recommends all unvaccinated members of the school community wear masks while in school buildings. Read more.
Karns City
During the school year, masks will be optional. Read more.
Kiski Area
Masks will be optional for all students, staff, and visitors. Read more.
Leechburg
The district's Health & Safety Plan was not readily available. We have reached out to the district and will update this as we get more information.
Redbank Valley
Unless mandated by state or federal government, the wearing of masks will remain optional for students and staff. Read more.
Beaver County
Aliquippa
Face coverings will be optional unless mandated by the Pa. Department of Education or the Pa. Department of Health. Read more.
Ambridge
The district says all face covering requirements will follow state and federal mandates. Read more.
Beaver
Masks are to be worn in all school buildings at all times until further notice. Read more.
Big Beaver Falls
Masks will be optional unless a mandate is reinstated. Read more.
Blackhawk
Mask decisions will be a parental choice. Read more.
Central Valley
The wearing of masks will be optional.
Ellwood City
The wearing of masks in school buildings will be optional for staff and students. Read more.
Freedom
Masks will not be required. Read more.
Hopewell
The district will comply if the Pa. Department of Health were to mandate mask-wearing. Otherwise, masks will be optional for students. Unvaccinated staff will be required to wear masks. Read more.
Midland
Masks will be optional unless mandated by local, state, or federal government agencies. Read more.
New Brighton
Masks will be optional unless mandated by the Pa. Department of Education, Pa. Department of Health, or by the Governor's Office. Read more.
Riverside
Masks and facial coverings will be optional unless mandated at the state level. Read more.
Rochester
Masks will be optional unless mandated by government and regulatory agencies. Read more.
South Side Area
The wearing of masks and facial coverings will be optional. Read more.
Western Beaver
Masking decisions are a parental and family choice. Read more.
Butler County
Butler
Masks are not required by the Butler Area School District.
Mars
The wearing of masks for staff and students will be optional. Read more.
Moniteau
Masks will be optional unless mandated by the Secretary of Health, the Governor, or other government agency. Read more.
Seneca Valley
Face masks are required of all individuals while in any Seneca Valley building during the school day while Butler County is in "Substantial" or "High" transmission levels as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Slippery Rock
The district will not require the wearing of face masks unless directed to do so by local, state, of federal government. Read more. Read more.
South Butler County
The district will not be requiring masks to be worn by staff or students. Read more.
Fayette County
Albert Gallatin
The district will hold a special meeting on December 14 to discuss masking plans.
Brownsville
The district says it will develop mitigation plans in line with the most recent guidance from the Pa. Department of Education, Pa. Department of Health, and CDC. Read more.
Connellsville
The district says it will develop mitigation plans in line with the most recent guidance from the Pa. Department of Education, Pa. Department of Health, and CDC. Read more.
Frazier
The wearing of masks will be optional for all students and staff. Read more.
Laurel Highlands
The district says it will follow all mandates for mask-wearing in accordance with the Pa. Department of Health and the state. Read more.
Southmoreland
The wearing of masks will be optional.
Uniontown
Masks will be optional for all students and staff inside school buildings. Read more.
Greene County
Carmichaels
Masks are not required for students who have been vaccinated.
Central Greene
Masks will be optional for all students and staff unless mandated by the Secretary of Health, the Governor, or other agency. Read more.
Jefferson-Morgan
Students and staff will not be required to wear a mask. Read more.
West Greene
All vaccinated staff members and students will not be required to wear a mask. Masks will be optional for all other staff and students. Read more.
Indiana County
Homer Center
The district will not require the wearing of masks, yet will promote the wearing of masks by students and employees, particularly those who have not been vaccinated. Read more.
Indiana
The wearing of masks will be optional. Read more.
River Valley
The district is strongly encouraging mask-wearing by unvaccinated individuals. Mask-wearing will be an optional decision at the discretion of students and parents. Read more.
Lawrence County
Laurel
Masks will be optional for all staff and students. Read more.
Mohawk
Masks for staff and students will be worn on a voluntary basis. Read more.
Neshannock
The wearing of masks is optional.
New Castle Area
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Shenango
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Union
Masks will be optional for students and staff while in school, but change may be necessary depending on safety recommendations. Read more.
Wilmington
Mask use will be optional for all students K-12. Read more.
Washington County
Avella
The wearing of masks for staff and students will be recommended, but not required.
Bentworth
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Bethlehem-Center
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Burgettstown
The district will recommend, but will not require masks to be worn. Read more.
California
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Canon-McMillan
Vaccinated students and staff will not be required to wear masks. Masks will be optional for all other students and staff. Read more.
Charleroi
The wearing of masks for staff and students will be optional. Read more.
Chartiers-Houston
The wearing of masks for staff and students will be optional. Read more.
McGuffey
The district will not require students or staff to wear masks, except where mandated by government. Read more.
Peters Township
The district will recommend masks be worn based on CDC guidance.
Ringgold
Masks will be required.
Trinity
Masks will be optional.
Washington
The district's stance on masks is unclear at this time.
Westmoreland County
Belle Vernon Area
Masks will be recommended, but optional.
Burrell
Masks will be optional.
Derry Area
The district will hold a special meeting on December 13 to discuss it's plans for masking.
Franklin Regional
Masks will be optional.
Greensburg-Salem
Masks will be recommended.
Hempfield Area
Parents have the decision of whether or not to have their child(ren) wear a face mask while attending school. Read more.
Jeannette
Currently, the district is strongly recommending the use of masks, however they are not mandatory.
Ligonier Valley
Masks will be optional in school facilities. Read more.
Monessen
Masks will be required for all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status.
Mt. Pleasant
The wearing of masks will be a decision for students and parents to make. Read more.
New Kensington-Arnold
The district will recommend vaccination and/or the wearing of masks indoors. Read more.
Norwin
Masks will be optional.
Yough
Masks will be optional for students and staff.
