34 covid-19 cases reported at Hempfield Area School District

As Hempfield Area School District leaders vow to return to a mask-optional policy as soon as possible, more than 30 covid-19 cases have been reported in the district.

According to a tracker on the district’s website, there are 34 confirmed cases, 31 of which are among students and three that are among staff. The tracker was updated Tuesday, the same day the state’s mask mandate went into effect for K-12 schools, bringing support from those in favor of masks and backlash from others wanting masks to be a choice.

Of cases reported at Hempfield, 13 are at the high school, five are at West Hempfield Middle School, four are at Wendover and Harrold middle schools, three are at Maxwell elementary, there are two each at West Hempfield and West Point elementary schools and there is one at Stanwood elementary.

There are currently no reported cases at Fort Allen Elementary School.

The tracker shows there at 14 more cases than were reported last week. By last Thursday, 20 cases had been reported in the district.

The district had been operating under a mask-optional policy for the first week of school. However, on Tuesday, students and staff were required to wear face coverings while in school buildings because of the mask mandate. Almost 50 students and parents gathered outside Hempfield Area High School Tuesday to protest the mandate.

In a letter posted on the district’s website Tuesday, written by school board members and district administration, officials said they are required to comply with the mandate.

“After a thorough review of our options and significant discussion by the school board and administration in conjunction with our solicitor, we have determined that failure to comply with a mandate issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health has legal and professional implications that cannot be ignored,” the letter reads.

The letter, in citing guidance from the education department, states that failure to comply with the mandate would be considered a willful violation of the law and could result in loss of school funding, loss of certifications for school administrators and other implications for the district and individuals.

“We do not want to jeopardize this school year by ignoring the state mandate,” the letter reads. “The Hempfield Area School Board and administrators are focused on educating our youth in a safe and respectful environment. We will continue to monitor this situation as we continue the 2021-2022 school year.

“We will be prepared to return to a mask-optional environment as soon as we can reasonably do so.”