MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Unlike the start of last school year, where a statewide mandate forced all public school districts across Pennsylvania to have students and staff to wear masks, superintendents and school boards are left to make their own decisions this August when it comes to protecting its community against the spread of COVID-19 and the highly transmissible Delta variant.
What schools ultimately decide is putting them at the center of an increasingly political debate over what the federal government says is best for children, and how families may feel otherwise.
Where schools seem unified though is the decision to do away with remote learning as much as possible, and have kids return to the classroom this fall.
"I think we'll be in five days a week. I'm pretty confident we can make that happen," said Dr. David Christopher, Superintendent at Cumberland Valley School District. "How we make that happen is still subject to change."
As the leader of one of the largest school districts in the commonwealth (20th by enrollment per 2020-21 figures provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education), the decisions made by Dr. Christopher and the Cumberland Valley School Board impact nearly 9,500 students. Currently, Cumberland Valley is making masks optional, citing vaccination rates and the most recent COVID-19 case counts. More than 54 percent of all Cumberland County residents are considered fully vaccinated, with daily cases are hovering around 40.
Dr. Christopher also indicated 95 percent of his staff are fully vaccinated.
However, at a recent school board meeting where Cumberland Valley discussed its health and safety plan, Christopher says he made parents well aware the school's COVID-19 policies may change as case counts rise.
"We have quite a big division of disagreement. There are folks who felt we should have masks 100 percent and folks who didn't want them at all. It's a situation where people aren't going to be happy at all," Dr. Christopher said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatricts have recommended schools have students wear masks. While vaccines are available for kids 12 years old and over, elementary and middle school children still have to wait for emergency authorization approval for the Pfizer and Moderna shots. Pfizer is in the midst of trials for 5 to 11 year olds, while Moderna has not started theirs.
While Cumberland Valley has made their decision on masking optional, nearby school districts like Carlisle Area, Harrisburg Area, and Susquehanna Township, among others, are making masks mandatory for all students and staff. The state has not given any concrete guidance on what schools should do, leaving it up to each district to make their own decision.
Superintendents at Harrisburg and Susquehanna Township were not available for comment.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education also did not make themselves available for comment, despite multiple attempts over the past couple of weeks, though a department spokesperson says a media availability would likely occur this week.
"There are lots of folks sharing their opinions, and at the end of the day my job is to make sure our kids come to school, stay in school, and we keep them safe," Dr. Christopher said.