Bucks Co. District To Grant Moral Exemptions To Vaccine Mandates

PERKASIE, PA — The Pennridge school board made several changes to its policies Monday night to loosen the district’s immunization requirements and give itself authority to ignore and overrule public health orders.

Pennridge School District will now grant exemptions to immunization mandates for parents who object to their children being vaccinated for moral reasons.

The board also amended the wording of its policy on immunizations and communicable diseases to say the district will now “consider” orders from state and local public health officials instead of requiring that those orders be followed by all students, parents and staff members.

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The school board voted 7-0 to make those two changes, with board members Ryan Gerhart and Katy Dolan not at the meeting.

Board member Megan Banis-Clemens explained her support, saying the state’s immunization policies allow for exemptions for “a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief.”

“We are legally obligated to have that language,” Banis-Clemens said. “So by adding that language (for moral exemptions), we made it in compliance with what the law actually requires us to do.”

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Banis-Clemens said her support for the new language in Policy 203 was driven by “confusing” public health orders during the coronavirus pandemic that have been interpreted “50 different ways” across the state.

“Everyone … can agree that there has been conflicting recommendations,” Banis-Clemens said. “If the language says that it automatically updates to their recommendations, what is that? What does that mean? Does that mean the CDC? Does that mean the Bucks County Board of Health?”

Banis-Clemens said the new language will give the board time to evaluate public health orders and decide how best to proceed before any changes are implemented.

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Ahead of the vote, East Rockville Township resident Stephanie Rogina told board members she was disappointed in their “irresponsible actions regarding our community’s health.”

“I’m especially sad to say that this time it isn’t limited to the pandemic,” Rogina said. “The board’s changes to Code 203, much like its response to the school mask mandate, is yet another way of blatantly encouraging Pennridge families to unethically dodge state requirements that are designed to prevent the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases amongst our children.”