YORK, Pa. — With the first day of school for the Central York School District only days away, the question of masks in school is still up for debate.
Central York School District students return to school on Aug, 18 with full in-person learning scheduled, according to the district's most recent health & safety plans.
Parents & board members came together tonight for an action meeting to discuss mask wearing in the upcoming year, as the most recent guidance has made masks optional for students & staff.
The school district's current guidance reads that face covering as "optional" but that the district will "supportive of individuals who choose to wear masks."
Students, parents, and concerned community members spoke for over an hour on various aspects of the mask policy - many supportive of the district allowing for what they called "parental choice," while others say rising COVID-19 cases counts meant the board must update the current plans.
While no change was made to the current policy, the school board noted that contingency plans are in the works if the situation in Pennsylvania changes or federal mandates change.
Notably, masks are required to be worn on school buses under an order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.