People may be putting their masks away as covid mandates are lifted, but students and teachers at Pittsburgh Public Schools will need to take them back out for the upcoming school year if a health and safety plan proposed by district officials passes on July 28.
Not only will masks be required for all people within district buildings, but students must also maintain a 3-foot social distance while adults stay 6 feet away.
“As we prepare for the return of students for five days a week in-person instruction this August, we will continue to align our safety protocols and procedures with the recommendations of the CDC, state and local health departments,” said Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, in a statement. “We are pleased that the guidelines provide school districts flexibility needed to ensure all students can come to school five days a week.”
Heightened cleaning protocols will be implemented by the school, including daily cleaning and disinfecting by PPS staff. Signs will additionally be placed across the buildings to teach students proper handwashing.
Although there is no required testing for the estimated 25,000 students within the district, PPS requires each case or symptom to be reported along with any close contacts the individual may have had.
PPS assisted in the vaccination of nearly 1,500 staff members in March. In April, an additional 1,500 were vaccinated. Since June the school district has partnered with Giant Eagle and UPMC to extend vaccination options to all students from grades 6-12, according to the district.
About 25% of children ages 12 to 15 and about 41% of those ages 16 to 17 are vaccinated against covid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Mike McNamara, interim chief operations officer at PPS, these procedures are being offered to protect the students and staff that have not been vaccinated yet.
People can comment about the guidelines on July 26 during a public hearing.
Pittsburgh Public Schools said in their plan that they “will continue to monitor the recommendations from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, CDC and the Governor of Pennsylvania. Recommendations will be implemented to the greatest extent possible.”
