PV School Board To Address Health & Safety Plan Monday

PERKIOMEN VALLEY, PA — The Perkiomen Valley School Board is expected to address the district’s health and safety plan for the coming school year at its monthly business meeting today at 7 p.m.

The central Montgomery County district says it plans to operate in-person five days a week during the 2021-22 school year, but that it will offer a virtual instruction model for students if families are concerned about having their children attend in-person due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The topic of facemasks will likely be addressed by the board this evening, and the latest draft of its health and safety plan – the seventh version – shows that mask-wearing while inside school buildings will be mandatory for all students and staff.

Outdoor mask-wearing will continue to be optional, although students must wear masks when on school busses in accordance with federal guidelines involving transportation.

The district’s health and safety plan says that students requesting an exemption from the masking requirements “must provide evidence of a medical condition or mental health issue from a certified medical professional indicating the detrimental effects of wearing masks,” the draft version of the plan reads.

Many area school districts are revising their health and safety plans in light of rising COVID-19 numbers in the region, and due to the fact that health officials in Montgomery County are now recommending that students be masked indoors.

State government in Pennsylvania has stopped short of issuing a mandatory masking order for school students, instead leaving it up to individual districts to make the decision. The opposite has occurred in New Jersey, where that state’s governor recently issued an order requiring all public school students to wear masks.

The agenda for tonight's Perkiomen Valley School Board meeting can be found here. The meeting will be held in the Perkiomen Valley High School Library and will also be broadcast on the district's YouTube channel.