The Pine-Richland School Board is scheduled to vote Monday night on a health and safety plan for full, in-person instruction at the start of the school year that will require all students, staff and visitors to wear masks indoors and follow other measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

An outline of the plan sent to parents provides calls for the return to in-person learning “the most important shared goal of our community.”

“In addition to the health protections, this approach sets a foundation for continuity of in-person learning while significantly reducing risk of quarantine-based disruptions,” district officials wrote.

“To start the year, we sincerely hope that the initial masking requirement can be met with limited exceptions so that the students can experience in-person learning and continuity.”

Parents will be able to submit a written request from a medical professional for an exemption to the mask requirement if their child has a medical condition or physical challenge.

District officials cited guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Allegheny County Health Department that students who wear masks and remain between 3- and 6-feet apart would not have to be quarantined if they come into contact with a person who has tested positive for covid-19.

The mask requirement and other measures being recommended also are based on the shift in the transmission rate of the coronavirus in Allegheny County from “low” in early July to the current level of “high” transmission.

The Delta variant’s risk of being transmitted among vaccinated and unvaccinated people along with the unavailability of the vaccine for children younger than 11 also was taken into account in the district’s proposed policy.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the policy Monday at its meeting at 7 p.m. in the Pine-Richland High School auditorium.

District officials said a survey of parents indicated that 76% were “planning to or willing to” have their child wear a mask in school and 62% said they are influenced by the level of transmission.

A survey of staff members found that 87% were “planning to or willing to” wear a mask in school and 68% are influenced by the level of transmission, they said.

The distinct also is proposing a number of measures that will be used to help slow transmission of the coronavirus, including:

• Home health screenings for students.

• Bus windows remain open, masks required, seating charts.

• Desks spread apart to maximize distancing.

• Increased ventilation system air intake.

• Building cleaning and sanitizing.

• Physical distancing in cafeterias and use of alternate space for meals, no salad bars, no shared serving utensils.

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