Pennsylvania Leaders Grapple Over Authority to Require Masks in Schools

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The Epoch Times

With just weeks left before the start of the new school year, the rules surrounding masking Pennsylvaniaโ€™s K-12 students are still unclear.

Masking was the main topic Friday during a well-attended hearing about COVID-19 school policies held in Harrisburg by the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee.

Committee members and most of the audienceโ€”members of the public mostly opposing masking childrenโ€”were without masks, but the panel of three state officials being questioned wore masks, even while speaking. They were: acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Alison Beam, Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Noe Ortega, and acting Education Deputy Secretary Sherri Smith.

The Department of Educationโ€™s recommendation to schools is for full, in-person instruction, Smith said. No school district has announced plans for remote learning, but some parents have requested remote learning as an option for their children, she said.

The in-person recommendation from the departments of health and education is coupled with another recommendation: for schools to follow guidance from the Center for Disease Control that includes social distancing, and for all students, vaccinated or not, to wear a mask in school.

State Senate Education Committee Chair Scott Martin, a Republican, questioned who can ultimately make the decision on masks.

โ€œUnder what constitutional or statutory authority does a school board or local government or even a state government have to impose various restrictions or orders if there is not a current emergency declaration and no order related to the secretary of health?โ€ Martin asked. โ€œWhere are those powers grounded, for a local school board to impose such restrictions?โ€

Beam said the Health Department is not considering a statewide masking mandate at this time so the department is pointing to the CDC guidance for universal masking for k-12.

โ€œEach of those school districts would then have the option of imposing a masking mandate under their authorities,โ€ Beam said.

Ortega added that they would have to check with the Department of Educationโ€™s legal team to see if the legal means exist at the school level to impose mask mandates.

Byย Beth Brelje

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

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