Proposed Masking In New Hope-Solebury Schools: Board To Review

NEW HOPE, PA — Several significant changes to the New Hope-Solebury School District's COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan will be under review at the Board of School Directors' Thursday meeting.

Charles W. Lentz, superintendent of schools, wrote to district families on Aug. 12 to say that the Health and Safety Committee will recommend three new requirements: mandatory indoor mask-wearing, mandatory mask-wearing on school buses, and notifications for families about new COVID-19 cases in schools.

"If approved, these revisions to the Health and Safety Plan will be in effect at the start of school and will be reviewed again when we approach the second marking period," he wrote. "As we have throughout the pandemic, our team will recommend revisions to school policies in response to the current situation, the guidance of qualified agencies, and with the best interests of our students and community at the forefront."

For the past couple of weeks, Bucks County has been designated by the Centers for Disease Control as a county with substantial spread. Last week, the county reported 562 positive cases — a 62 percent increase from the week before.

"Like all of you, I hoped that by this time, the pandemic would be behind us and we would be returning to school with a greater degree of normalcy," Lentz wrote. "Regrettably, we are seeing a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus driven by the Delta variant."

The CDC recommends that all people mask indoors in counties with these case numbers, but as yet there is no state level mandate in Pennsylvania. Governor Wolf has said he will not require masking in schools.

According to the CDC, 66.3 percent of Bucks County residents 12 or older have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. But children younger than 12 cannot yet be vaccinated.

"We cannot legally request vaccination status from students, therefore this policy ensures that everyone is equally protected," Lentz wrote of the proposed indoor masking requirement.

The Bucks County Department of Health issued COVID-19 guidance for school districts on Sunday, initially saying it would recommend only a "mask-optional policy" with Targeted Temporary Mitigation strategies on a case-by-case basis. On Tuesday afternoon, though, Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker amended this part of the guidance following advice from area hospitals, and said the department would encourage indoor masking in schools.

While the CDC mandates masking on public transportation, the county health department left this decision to districts.

"Each school district must work with their solicitor to interpret this order and its applicability," the memo stated.

Following rising cases, New Hope-Solebury is also proposing notification for all families of any school COVID-19 cases.

"However, we cannot continue contact tracing and quarantining because these safety
measures are no longer provided by the Bucks County Department of Health," Lentz wrote.

In their clarifying guidance, the county health department explained that its contact tracing efforts will focus only on highest risk sites including correctional facilities, congregate care facilities, and nursing homes. However, officials advised that school districts encourage families to report confirmed cases to their school nurse or staff designee.

In addition to guidance by the county health department, Lentz explained that the district also reviews advice by the CDC, the U.S. Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He said that the additional requirements are based on this guidance and on the Health and Safety Committee's monitoring of COVID-19 developments.

More detailed information on the proposed revisions will be provided after Thursday's board meeting.

The meeting is taking place at the Upper Elementary School, 180 W. Bridge St, at 6:30 p.m. Masks are recommended, and a Zoom link will be available shortly before the meeting on the district website.

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