December 12, 2021

Dear Penn-Delco Staff,

Our weekend was greeted with news that the PA Supreme Court struck down the K-12 mandatory masking order that had been in place since the start of the school year. That decision means that rules on mask requirements revert to the directives within each school district's Board-approved COVID Health and Safety Plan. With respect to masking, the Penn-Delco Health and Safety Plan indicates the following: The CDC and the PA Department of Health “recommends universal indoor masking for all staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status”. Accordingly, the district will recommend universal masking of all persons in our schools.  

In light of this change, beginning tomorrow, our school district will be strongly recommending that masks be worn by all staff, students, and visitors to our schools. However, school administrators and staff are no longer tasked with the policing and enforcement of a statewide school mask requirement that plainly no longer exists.

Stay safe
While the statewide mask mandate may be gone, we expect good habits to generally remain. Smart practices, designed to keep ourselves and others safe and healthy, can continue through wise personal decisions without a governmental mandate. School Principals will remind students and staff of the expert guidance and recommendation to continue wearing a mask, and we know there is an enormous amount of support from parents to have their children continue wearing masks as well.

Still, some students may not heed the recommendation and there are also families who don't support masks at all. We must avoid taking sides in the national mask debates and do our best within the policies and procedures that are in place. Staff who may be concerned about reduced mask coverings among students may consider adding other mitigations, such as wearing a face shield in addition to a mask. Health experts advise a layering approach to mitigations against COVID: when one is removed, considered adding another. Of course, vaccination and wearing personal protection such as a cloth mask remains the top recommendation from health experts to best prevent virus transmission. As adults tasked with educating children through deed as much as word, staff adherence to the health recommendation will go a long way in leading by example. 

Guidance
I recognize that some of our students, particularly those at the secondary level, will ask staff if they must wear a mask. I recommend a simple and consistent answer: "Although you are currently not required to wear a mask, it is highly recommended". That is accurate, grounded in existing guidance from the public health experts, and aligned with the PDSD Health and Safety Plan. It is worth noting that students must continue to wear a mask when on a school bus, in accordance with federal regulations, and also must wear a mask while in school as a condition for participating in the Test to Stay protocol for close contacts. 

We have just two weeks until a well-deserved winter break, and I remain confident that a cooperative and dedicated spirit through the next nine days can be a rewarding way to power us into the New Year.

As always, I remain deeply appreciative of your consideration, care, and commitment to the students we serve every day in countless ways.


Gratefully Yours,
Dr. George Steinhoff - Superintendent of Schools