People pack Pine-Richland meeting for mask discussion

GIBSONIA, Pa. — More than 50 parents, staff members and community leaders packed the Pine-Richland school board meeting Monday night to discuss masking in schools.

The board voted last month to make masks optional starting Jan. 17. They voted Monday night to push the mask mandate back until Feb. 16, meaning students will continue to wear them on the bus and in class.

Then masks will reportedly be optional.

Dozens told the board that now is not the time to do away with masking. Others said this should be a parent’s choice.

“Now is not the time. Everybody is for removing masks but not now. It doesn’t make sense in the middle of the surge. We are keeping the doors open. Pine-Richland is open. We’ve been open five days for a long time. Kids are thriving,” said Meredith Mestre.

“We’re doing a couple of things that don’t make sense. We’re contact tracing healthy kids. We’re testing healthy kids and we’re leaving healthy kids home. We’ve never done that in the history of man. The common sense has left the equation in my opinion,” said John Cory.

School officials said they’re working on a plan for those parents in the district who don’t want their children around other kids who aren’t wearing masks.

Local school district implementing program to keep kids out of quarantine

©2022 Cox Media Group