School masking is back in a handful of Montco districts as county COVID level increases

A handful of Montgomery County school districts returned to required masking Friday or announced plans to do so Monday after the CDC moved the county into its “high” COVID-19 community level.

“When this occurs, per the recommendation of the Montgomery County Office of Public Health (MCOPH), masks are required indoors and on public transportation,” Cheltenham Superintendent Brian Scriven wrote in a message to families and staff Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Norristown Area School District, Lower Moreland Township School District and Upper Dublin School District will require masks starting Monday, as will all Philadelphia schools — until further notice. The decision for city schools came at the recommendation of the city health department.

“As we’ve learned since the pandemic began, the coronavirus continues to evolve and so too will our response to it,” Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said in an email sent to staff Friday afternoon. “As we work together to minimize the spread, please remember that our Health and Safety protocols are still in effect, including the importance of notifying the district if you test positive for COVID-19.”

In a message to the community Friday, Upper Dublin Superintendent Steve Yanni noted that because the CDC updates the levels every Thursday, families could expect to hear then about whether masking would to continue to be required, or revert to optional.

In a social media post Friday, Norristown said it made the decision after speaking with county health officials and asked “for some continued grace and patience as we navigate what may be changing mitigation strategies and requirements.”

The CDC’s measure is based on case rate, the rate of new hospital admissions for COVID-19, and the percentage of hospital beds in use by patients with COVID-19. Bucks, Chester and Delaware counties also fall into the agency’s “high” level, while Philadelphia is in “medium.”

Scriven said that when Montgomery County returns to the “medium” level, Cheltenham will drop the masking requirement. The district’s last day is June 17.

While Lower Merion reinstated a mask requirement Friday after informing families Thursday night of the county’s shift under the CDC metrics, it sent a note to families Friday revising its message to say it was now back to strongly recommending masks.