The Seneca Valley School Board will vote Monday on changes to its health and safety plan that would reduce coronavirus pandemic restrictions in all schools.
The board Monday heard recommendations by Tracy Vitale, superintendent, and other administrators that would see the new rules put into place Feb. 28.
Masks would switch from being required to strongly recommended based on COVID-19 case numbers.
Seneca Valley is the only school district in the county that continues to require masking.
Plexiglas would be removed in the cafeterias, reusable food service items would replace disposables, and physical distancing measures would be reduced.
Temperature-taking stations would be removed.
More visitors would be allowed on campus, although parents could continue to request virtual meetings with teachers.
Board members largely agreed that due to falling cases locally and elsewhere, plus the availability of vaccines, the district needs to begin relaxing the mitigation requirements in place in the district.
Vitale revealed that COVID-19 cases have fallen significantly throughout the district, and that some buildings have no cases.
She said 74% of staff are fully vaccinated and 22..3% of students have had at least two COVID-19 vaccinations.
“It is time we start lifting some of these mitigations, in our opinion,” Vitale said.
Board member Leslie Bredl, and many others, agreed.
“It is time to consider some off ramps, but we need to do those in a safe manner,” Bredl said.
Parent Lindsey Baker told the board that the district masking mandate is “child abuse,” and that her 9-year-old dreads going to school because of the masking requirement.
“Let the teachers teach and not be the mask police,” Baker said.
She accused the board of enjoying a position of control rather than acting according to the best interest of students and staff, which rankled board member Jeff Widdowson.
Widdowson, who has served on the board for many years in various terms, said Baker was wrong in her accusation that the board is interested in control.
“For someone tonight to imply or infer that anyone is on this board for some kind of power trip is absurd,” Widdowson said.
