State Issues Face Covering Mandate for Schools

State Issues Face Covering Mandate for Schools
Posted on 08/31/2021
This is the image for the news article titled State Issues Face Covering Mandate for SchoolsEmail Shared with Families & Staff on Tuesday, August 31, 2021:

This afternoon, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam announced a face covering mandate for school districts, brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools, private and parochial schools, career and technical centers, intermediate units, and early learning and other childcare settings effective Tuesday, September 7, 2021. 

District administrators have received notice of the mandate and have reviewed its contents. Therefore, as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education have jurisdiction over the South Park School District and all school districts in the commonwealth, each teacher, child/student, staff, or visitor working, attending, or visiting a district building must properly wear a face covering indoors, regardless of vaccination status, beginning on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, except as set forth in Section 3 of the order (in the link above). Face coverings will remain strongly recommended in district buildings through Friday, September 3. The Pennsylvania Department of Education wrote to school districts this afternoon, “School entities are expected to enforce the Order as they do other state laws.”

Face coverings can be removed when eating or drinking or during scheduled mask breaks. Face coverings will not be required by student-athletes during a sports practice activity or event. Face coverings are not required outdoors. Face coverings have been a requirement on all district buses and vehicles since the start of the school year because of a federal order. District administrators continue to review today’s mandate. Additional operational updates following this mandate’s release will be provided soon.

This state mandate will require the district to revise its previously approved health and safety plan, effective Tuesday, September 7. The updated plan will be posted on the district’s website and shared with families in the coming days.

Thank you for your careful attention to this information.

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