Hempfield Area School District returns to mask-optional policy

The Hempfield Area School District will return to a mask-optional policy this week after the state’s mask mandate was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The message was conveyed in a letter sent to district families Saturday.

“The Hempfield Area School District’s Health & Safety Plan indicates that once the masking order is lifted, the parent shall determine if the child wears a mask while attending school.” Superintendent Tammy Wolicki wrote in the letter.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Dec. 10 decision affirmed a lower court ruling that the state’s acting secretary of health did not have the authority to issue a mandatory mask mandate for schools in August. The ruling ended the mandate effective immediately. Going forward, school districts can implement their own making policies as they see fit.

Wolicki said students will have the option to wear masks starting Monday.

The district’s health and safety plan, which was updated in November, states that officials will support the wearing of face masks as parents request. The plan also reads that once the mask mandate is lifted, teachers will seat students wearing face masks in the same area within classrooms when feasible to limit the number of students quarantining.

Students and bus drivers are still required to wear a face covering on school buses, as per a federal directive.

Other mitigation efforts will remain in place, including 3 feet of social distancing and cleaning of facilities.

The district’s health and safety plan can be found at hasdpa.net.