SALUNGA-LANDISVILLE, Pa. — As Pennsylvania slowly reopens post-pandemic, school districts are also grappling with how to safely relax restrictions.
The state followed CDC guidelines released this week allowing those who are fully vaccinated to not wear a mask in most locations.
With looser mask requirements and expanded vaccine access to those 12 and older, some said schools, too, should relax restrictions.
Most Central Pennsylvania school districts, including Harrisburg, Lancaster, Steelton-Highspire and Upper Adams, have indicated they will continue to require masks through the end of the year.
That follows guidance by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which recommends schools keep their current protocol through the end of the school year, as there are only a few more weeks in the school year and most K-12 students aren’t vaccinated.
“Kids already are taking their masks off,” said Xander Green, a 16-year-old in 10th grade at Hempfield High School. “In my opinion I feel like we should still have our masks on in the auditorium if we have big events or something, but overall it is a good step in the direction of getting these masks completely gone.”
Green’s school, Hempfield High School, announced May 19 that fully vaccinated students age 16 or older could choose not to wear a mask at school. The new guidelines require students to have completed both shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine two weeks prior to not wearing a mask at school.
Green just got his first shot last week, so he will likely not be able to take off his mask before school gets out.
His younger sister Ava, 13, also has received her first shot. By as a 7th grader in Hempfield School District’s Centerville Middle School, she still has to wear a mask at school.
“I probably still wouldn’t take it off just to be sure and so then other kids aren’t thinking that they can take theirs off when they aren’t vaccinated,” she said.
Ginger Gleason, a close friend of the Greens’ grandparents, came to pick up the siblings from school. She said she agreed with the district’s decision, though she said she would continue to wear a mask while driving the children until they were both fully vaccinated.
Gleason actually wears a special mask for driving them. It reads “GRUBER.”
“I call myself GrUber: Granny Uber,” Gleason said.
Several school districts that have decided to continue requiring masks have gotten some pushback from parents. Facebook groups have been created by parents in Solanco and Manheim Central schools districts protesting the mask requirement.
With summer break so close around the corner, however, it’s unlikely more districts will change course before next school year.