School District That Shunned Mandate Reverses Decision

September 24, 2021 4:05 am

TAMAQUA, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania school district that openly flouted a statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools has reversed course and says it will require universal masking for students and others inside school buildings. The Tamaqua Area School Board voted 6-3 on Tuesday night to comply with the masking order from the state Health Department, which requires students, staff and visitors to cover their faces while indoors. Pennsylvania school districts had largely followed the masking order, even as some exploited an apparent loophole that made it easier for parents to request medical exemptions for their children. But Tamaqua had opted to make masks optional, drawing the ire of state officials.