The Pennsbury School District will be moving to mask optional for students and staff starting next week.
Superintendent Dr. Thomas Smith announced during Thursday evening’s school board meeting that the change to “masks recommended” will be effective Tuesday, February 22. He noted the change is in line with the health and safety plan passed last August.
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“Every individual’s decision will be respected,” Smith said, adding there will be no bullying over masking allowed.
Masks will still be required on school buses, and visitors will continue to wear masks in schools, Smith said.
The superintendent said contact tracing and quarantining will continue for a minimum of four weeks.
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Smith’s presentation at the school board meeting noted that if cases grew significantly, additional mitigation measures would be considered.
Pennsbury has required masks for students and staff since the school year started.
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A group of parents are suing the district over their masking policy.
Parents were alerted of the upcoming change by a letter sent Friday morning.
Below is Smith’s letter to the community:
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Dear Pennsbury School Community,
We are pleased to announce that due to a number of COVID-related metrics, we are able to loosen some more of our restrictions. Effective Tuesday, February 22, 2022, the Pennsbury School District will move to “Masks Recommended” in accordance with our Health and Safety Plan.
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It is important to recognize that not everyone is comfortable with this change and many staff and students will likely continue to wear masks. We encourage the use of masks based on an individual’s comfort level and for high-risk individuals, especially when attending events or in situations that increase the likelihood of contracting COVID.
Every individual’s decision will be respected. Shaming, questioning, or bullying individuals for their personal decision will not be tolerated.
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Please note the following regarding our move to “Mask Recommended”:
● Masks are still required on buses -This is a Federal mandate.
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● Visitors to our schools are asked to wear masks.
● Contact tracing and quarantining will continue for a minimum of four weeks during this transition to track any changes in cases.
● The district/school COVID dashboard will continue to be updated for a minimum of four weeks during this transition.
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● The weekly COVID notification emails will end tomorrow (2/18/22). Information will be available on the district website.
I would like to acknowledge the patience, courage, and commitment that all of our district staff members have shown over the past two years. This has not been an easy time to be in education, but they have continuously put our students first. Our students have been incredibly resilient and we will work to continue to expand our academic and mental health supports in the weeks and months ahead. Finally, thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we take these significant steps toward returning to normal operations.
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Sincerely,
Thomas A. Smith, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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