Neshaminy Approves Masking For Students In K-8

The Neshaminy School District will be requiring students in elementary and middle schools to wear masks while in buildings.

The board voted 5-4 Tuesday evening during a more than three-hour-long meeting to amend the health and safety plan that will be in place through October 1.

The plan calls for students up to eighth grade to be masked while in school buildings. High school students, who are eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19, are not required to mask up in schools. All students will have to wear masks on school buses.

Medical exemptions for students will be accepted if approved by a doctor.

Athletic programs will be able to return to pre-pandemic operations.

Kindergarten through fourth grade will eat lunch in classrooms and grades five through eight will also sit at classroom desks. The measure gives more space between students.

The district will not be contact tracing to start. The district still asks that parents and staff notify building principals of COVID-19 positive cases.

“The plan moving forward is similar to that of most other illnesses. If you are not feeling well: 1) Stay Home; 2) If the symptoms continue, see your doctor; 3) Follow your physician’s directions; 4) Return to School/Work when symptom free for 24 hours,” the district’s plan said.

The plan notes that Neshaminy will not be requiring vaccinations for students and staff.

“The goal is to have the safest learning environment possible, while having the best instruction,” Superintendent Dr. Robert McGee said.

McGee noted that cases of COVID-19 have increased in Bucks County. They recently went from six out of 100,000 people earlier in summer to 96 out of 100,000 people recently.

Neshaminy’s rules break with the new Bucks County, federal, and state COVID-19 health guidelines. McGee noted the district staff was still working to digest the latest recommendations from the county health department.

All three health agencies are calling for masking of all school staff and students.

Langhorne resident Linda Pritchett said “masks should be required, not optional.” She noted the rising number of COVID-19 cases are a threat to student and staff health. Additionally, she stated her husband is at high-risk for having serious complications due to COVID-19 and asked for contact tracing to be to the same standard as last year.

Karen Blumenfeld, of Langhorne, said the fact that Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker updated guidance for masks for all kids should be a sign Neshaminy should upgrade their mitigation measures. The audience laughed at Blumenfeld when who noted that universal masking protects students.

Nick Bortner, of Lower Southampton Township, said he recognized the board was making a tough decision, but he asked the school board to leave the the decision on masking up to families.

“Kids always get sick. People always get sick. No matter what we do people get sick,” he said, noting his daughter got strep throat despite masking guidelines last year.

Jennifer Brenner, of Middletown Township, said no one wants their kids to be sick, but she is concerned about kids mental health.

“We need to respect the recommend section of the guidance and let families see what works for them … we need to return to a life of freedom,” she said.

A Maple Point Middle School student told the school board that some of the safety protocols “weren’t too my liking.” She said parents should make decisions on masking.

One parent asked for McGee to resign over the COVID-19 mitigation measures.

Matt Taylor, of Middletown Township, asked the school board to vote against the plan because it required some students to wear masks. He noted numbers that show COVID-19 is of less risk to kids than adults. He said mitigation measures have negative impacts on kids.

A Middletown Township father who spoke said there was no legal right for government to mandate masks. He said his kids came home with snotty and bloody masks and that could not be good for their health. He stated masks also can have impacts on watching others speak.

“Parents are only trying to do what is best for children. All I’m asking you to do is let me do that,” he said.

Brett Martinson, of Lower Southampton Township, urged parents to not listen to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and listen to the parents that don’t believe that kids should have to wear masks.

Kim Gorman, a teacher from Middletown Township, supported masks being optional. She said her family was looking forward to optional masking, but now that has been dampened by the mask mandate.

“My children will never wear a mask,” she said.

Another parent said children wearing a mask is “child abuse.”

Craig Jenson, of Middletown Township, called for masking for students and, citing studies, stated masks help slow the spread but doesn’t stop COVID-19 in its tracks.

“It’s just one more preventive measure,” he said.

Suzi Drake, a Neshaminy High School teacher and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers member, said the union wanted the district to adopt a safety plan that follows county guidance for masking on all students, staff and visitors. She said students and staff deserve schools to be open and safe.

Dr. Mike Gorman, a chiropractor and alternative medicine practitioner, said district could go without a mask mandate and implement one if cases increase. He said the decision on masking for some students is a “slippery slope” that could lead to vaccination mandates.

“I don’t pay my tax dollars to cause harm to children. Take the masks off children now,” said Alex Paul, of Langhorne Borough.

Rachel Carr, a Lower Southampton Township mother who works as a pediatric nurse, said she “feels very strongly that masking should be optional.” She said the Delta varinet is more contagious, but she has not seen data that outweighs her opinion.

Joyce Boyd called for making the mask mandate optional and asked school board why they aren’t looking at making people healthier without having to wear masks.

A middle school student cried before the school board because she has to wear a mask while her high school-aged sister doesn’t have to.

“My mom doesn’t want me to wear a mask, so I don’t want to,” she said.

Dan McCoy, of Langhorne Borough, said his kids are thrilled to be going back to school and don’t mind wearing masks.

At one point during public comment, some parents became upset because board member Irene Boyle appeared to have her eyes closed.

School Board President Stephen Pirritano said Boyle was paying attention, but had just closed her eyes when listening.

Board member Tina Hollenbach asked parents to remain respectful.

During board comment, Hollenbach said it was “appalling” some parents said McGee doesn’t care about students.

Board member Cyndie Bowman said McGee was doing the right thing. She hit back against a comment that his recommendation was financially driven. She added that the claims were unfair and untrue.

Board member David Marrington was explaining that he felt masking made sense when he was interrupted by members of the audience multiple times.

“I am talking. You shut up,” Marrington said, later apologizing for the language but affirming people were being rude.

“We didn’t take away anybody’s rights … the narrative that masks don’t work is a false narrative,” he firmly said.

Pirritano said he approved of the masking plan and that it will help keep students in classes and make up for learning loss from virtual learning, which the administration estimates will take three years to make up.

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