Norwin goes back to mandatory masking policy

Nine days after Norwin lifted its mask requirement for students, staff and visitors, the school district said Friday it would reinstate mandatory masking on Monday because of state court decisions.

Superintendent Jeff Taylor made mask-wearing optional Nov. 10 in response to a Commonwealth Court ruling that found the state’s acting health secretary had no authority to issue a statewide mask mandate. The school board voted five days later to maintain that policy.

Norwin was one of the school districts named as a defendant in the lawsuit opposing the mask mandate.

While Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration appealed the Commonwealth Court ruling to the state Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Court last Tuesday granted a separate motion that would lift a stay on its order on Dec. 4. Wolf had previously set Jan. 17 as the deadline for lifting his administration’s mask mandate.

Because the latest Commonwealth Court decision would give districts the right to decide on their masking policies as of Dec. 4, the district reinstated the mask mandate.

If Norwin did not follow the face-covering order, Taylor said in a statement, the district could face various sanctions from the state Department of Education and expose school board members and administrators to personal liability.

The district’s liability insurers also could explore cancelling coverage as a result of possible illegal conduct and Norwin could lose millions of dollars in financial subsidies through federal and state funding and grants, adversely impacting the district’s finances, the district said.