Greater Latrobe returns to mask-optional policy by 6-3 vote

Greater Latrobe School Board on Tuesday voted 6-3 to revert to a mask-optional policy for students, staff and visitors at district schools.

The decision comes in the wake of a state Supreme Court ruling last week that overturned the Department of Health mandate for wearing face coverings in schools.

Opponents of loosening the mask protocol said it couldn’t come at a worse time, as rising covid cases are putting a strain on area hospitals to find sufficient acute care beds for both covid-19 patients and non-covid patients.

Andrew Repko, Susan Mains, Paul McCommons, Eric Hauser and Merle L. Musick and Merle D. Musick voted in favor of the mask-optional policy. Dr. Michael Zorch, Heidi Kozar and Bill Palmer were opposed.

As set forth in its revised health and safety plan, the district says it will “encourage all students, faculty, staff and visitors to wear appropriate face coverings. However, the use of face coverings will be optional and a personal or family decision.”

Because of a federal mandate that remains in place, students still are required to wear face coverings while riding on district school buses.

Zorch, who is a retired emergency department physician, said he believes “everyone should wear a mask indoors until (the covid pandemic) calms down.”

“Emergency department wait times have skyrocketed and many patients are being cared for in hallways due to lack of available acute care bed space. The situation is desperate,” said Dr. William A. Jenkins, medical director for Westmoreland County’s 911 center, in a Monday email to county police and fire chiefs.

Zorch said he doesn’t understand the resistance of some community members to wearing masks, which he said is a way to limit the spread of covid-19 and protect those most vulnerable to infection.

“This is not political,” he argued. “It’s not taking away anybody’s freedom. You’re being kind and helpful to your fellow man.”

He expressed concern that stepping back from the mask mandate will jeopardize students’ ability to receive face-to-face instruction in district classrooms and cause them to learn remotely instead.

“If we take the masks off, I’m afraid we’re going to be quarantining more kids and we’ll have more kids sitting in front of screens,” Zorch said.

Noting there are students in the district with a heightened susceptibility to infections, Kozar said wearing masks is “the very least we can do to protect them and to protect others when they are ill.”

Repko said he supports having families decide whether their children should wear masks while at school. But, he told parents, “If your child is sick, keep them home.”

Parent Matt Pergar, during public comments, told the board he opposed the mask mandate, preferring that parents choose if their child will wear a mask at school.

He added that there might be some circumstances when masking would be a good idea — for instance, when students are in close contact with each other.

“We shouldn’t see it as all or nothing,” he said of masking.

Kristen Klunk argued that wearing masks inhibits students’ development.

“I am exhausted wearing my mask,” Meg Oldman admitted. But she said she supports wearing masks to help protect her 3-year-old child, who is not old enough to receive a covid-19 vaccine.

“Masking is most effective when everyone wears one,” she said.

Zorch said he believes cloth masks are effective at checking the spread of covid-19 when all parties who come into contact are wearing one. But, he suggested Greater Latrobe parents may want to have their children use more effective face coverings, such as N95 masks, since they’ll likely encounter others who are not masked at school.

According to the district’s updated health and safety plan, anyone who displays any symptom consistent with covid-19 while at school will be asked to “return home, consult with a physician and remain at home until symptoms have passed for at least 24 hours without the use of medication.”

In a change from previous policy, “students, faculty and staff members who are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic are not required to quarantine after coming into close contact with a person who has tested positive for covid-19.”

Retiring superintendent gets sendoff

Tuesday’s meeting was the final one for Superintendent Georgia Teppert, who is retiring Jan. 3 after more than 34 years in education, 23 of them at Greater Latrobe.

National Honor Society members presented a video tribute to Teppert while the student council gifted her a floral arrangement.

“I’m beyond blessed to be part of such a wonderful school community,” said Teppert, who noted she would continue to attend district events as a parent.

Assistant Superintendent Michael Porembka will succeed Teppert as superintendent.