Online petition asks North Allegheny to require masks for students under 12

PITTSBURGH — Sha LuangKesorn is one of hundreds of people who signed an online petition asking North Allegheny School District officials require masks for students under 12 until they can be vaccinated.

The District presented its Health & Safety plan at our May 12 School Board of Directors meeting.

“It’s not just about me. It’s about everybody around me too. I wear it because I care about you, not because I wear it to protect myself,” she said.

10-year-old Tai is looking forward to seeing his friends and classmates in person this fall. He said he’d be on board with a mask requirement for school.

“Even though they’re really uncomfortable - when you’re close to other people in other environments, it really helps to feel safer,” he said.

At the NASD June 16 School Board of Directors meeting, the District updated it’s language regarding face coverings to align with the Pennsylvania Department of Health:

• Students and staff are required to wear face coverings in accordance with the current order of the Pennsylvania Department of Health requirements.
• As of June 28, 2021 or when 70 percent of adults get their second dose, whichever comes first, the Commonwealth’s mask order can be lifted. At this time, the District will not require face coverings after June 28th, unless directed to do so by local, Commonwealth, and/or federal guidelines.
• Students and staff may choose to wear a face covering, even if we are not required by local, Commonwealth, and/or federal guidelines.

Given that the mask mandate order was lifted by the Commonwealth, the following language was shared with families on Monday:

Face Coverings

• As of June 28, 2021, the Commonwealth no longer has a face covering mandate. NASD will not require face coverings on school campuses. North Allegheny parents/guardians can decide if they want to send their student to school with a face covering.
• Face coverings are still required by the Federal government on public transportation, which includes NASD provided transportation and buses.
• The District will comply if it is mandatory to implement face coverings by local, Commonwealth, and/or Federal officials.
• The District will continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 within our school community. The District may decide to require masking for reasons such as (but not limited to): community spread of the illness in classrooms, individual school buildings, and across the district, or a change in the community transmission level in the county.

More about the district’s Back to School information for the 2021-2022 school year can be found by clicking here.

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