State College Area School District has changed its plans and now will require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks while inside district buildings.
In an email to district families on Monday afternoon, Superintendent Bob O’Donnell wrote that the change was made because Centre County has reached the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s substantial level of community transmission for COVID-19. CDC guidance recommends that all people in counties at the substantial or high level of transmission wear masks in public indoor settings.
“We intend to start the year with these mitigation protocols in place,” O’Donnell wrote. “In the coming weeks, we will continue to monitor local conditions and adjust our protocols accordingly if needed.”
In July, the school board voted 7-2 to approve a fall health and safety plan that included a requirement for individuals who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear masks in district buildings. The approval gave district administration authority to make adjustments to the plan in response to changing conditions.
Since then, COVID-19 cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations in Centre County have steadily increased as the Delta variant of the virus has caused a surge throughout Pennsylvania and nationwide. That surge led Penn State to announce last week that universal indoor masking is required in all university buildings at all campuses until further notice.
Centre County has been at the substantial level — the second highest for transmission on the CDC’s scale — for five of the past six days.
Transmission levels are based on total new cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days and percentage of positive tests over the same period.
The CDC last week also updated its guidance for K-12 schools to recommend universal indoor masking for all people, regardless of vaccination status, while in school buildings.
SCASD’s health and safety plan also calls for 3 to 6 feet of physical distancing indoors. While outdoors, there are no masking or distancing requirements.
• SCASD 2021-22 Health and Safety Plan
• SCASD Health and Safety Plan Questions and Answers
No other school districts in Centre County to date are requiring masks for any individuals.
