A deadlocked North Hills school board failed Thursday to approve a health and safety plan for the upcoming school year.
The board considered several options, but all failed to receive at least five votes. The meeting was suspended and is scheduled to resume at 6 p.m. Aug. 17.
The holdup concerns masks to stop the spread of COVID-19. Superintendent Patrick Mannarino’s proposal was to make masking optional in all grades unless mandated by the state. That motion failed with only three votes for it: Kathryn Poniatowski, Rachael Rennebeck and Helen “Dee” Spade.
Voting against that motion were Sandra Kozera, Phil Little, Deanna Philpott, Kathy Reid and board President Allison Mathis. Annette Nolish was absent.
None of the other motions received more than three “yes” votes. One proposal only mandated masks for students in kindergarten through fifth grade until vaccines become available for children under 12. Another mandated masks for all when the transmission rate in Allegheny County is high or substantial, as it is right now.
Ms. Rennebeck said she is against treating elementary children differently than the upper grades.
“If you have a house with four children, two will have to wear a mask and two not,” she said. “Anyone with multiple children will know that that is not going to fly.”
She, Ms. Poniatowski and Ms. Spade said they will be against any proposal that mandates masks for any grade level.
Mr. Little said he can see both sides.
“You can be scared for your kids. And you can wonder when is this going to end,” he said. “The community is being ripped apart. We are insulting each other. And you wonder where our kids get it.”
Parents who spoke at the meeting were divided as well.
“Children belong first to their parents and families, not to any government or school district,” said Samantha Moyer. “Masks do little or nothing to protect children’s health.”
Dr. Jessica Price, a pediatrician, pointed out that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Allegheny County Health Department all recommend that unvaccinated children and adults wear masks.
“As hopeful as we are that we have safe and effective vaccines and as much as we long to be back to normal, the pandemic is not over yet,” she said. “This delta variant has become the dominant strain, and it is very contagious.”
Dr. Price added that if students are distanced and wearing masks, they will not have to quarantine if one of their classmates tests positive for the virus.
“The public health guidelines are clear: Masks decrease the spread of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19,” Dr. Price added.
Both Ms. Moyer and Andrew Hatalski said elementary children need to see how their teachers form their words to help with their speech.
“Let the parents make those decisions about what is best for our kids,” Mr. Hatalski said. “We will deal with any health issues that come up when they come up.”
Other parents supported masking at least unvaccinated elementary students.
“Follow the science. Don’t bow to the pressure,” said Lynne Finnerty. “We teach our kids: You do the right thing, even when it is hard. Even when it is unpopular, you do the right thing.”
Mr. Mannarino and board members frequently expressed frustration with the decisions being left to local school boards.
“My biggest frustration: Our state government and our county government have said that they think we should follow the guidelines, but they are not going to require it,” Ms. Kozera said. “Having their backing would give more teeth to a decision.”
Other, less controversial parts of the health and safety plan include having students seated at least 3 feet apart, even in the cafeteria, and frequent cleaning of all surfaces.
North Hills students are scheduled to return to school on Aug. 25.
Sandy Trozzo, freelance writer: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com.
First Published: August 6, 2021, 4:00 p.m.
