School Districts In Suburban Philly Requiring Masks: See List

SOUTHEASTERN PA — As case numbers continue to rise and the more contagious delta variant spreads around the region, school districts around Pennsylvania and in the Philadelphia suburbs are grappling with one of the most contentious questions of this latest stage of the pandemic: should masks be mandated?

While a large number of school districts around southeastern Pennsylvania have instituted a universal mask mandate, it is a microcosm which is not representative of the state at large. Across Pennsylvania, state officials say that only 59 school districts out of 474 have submitted health and safety plans requiring masks for all (see list of suburban Philadelphia districts and their plans below).

Gov. Tom Wolf recently requested that the state legislature pass a law that mandates masks in schools, citing "inaction" on the local level. However, Pennsylvania Republican leadership said on Friday that they would not return to Harrisburg to address the issue, arguing that "the impact is not equal everywhere."

Mandates have not been without controversy in the liberal Philadelphia suburbs. A meeting of the North Penn School Board about only mandating masks for elementary school students devolved into chaos and verbal confrontation, leading to a police call. Similarly, over in the Council Rock School District, dozens of parents and community members spoke out at a public board meeting, with hundreds signing petitions both in support of and against a mandate.

Here's an overview of some of the region's school districts and the decision they have made on masking for the 2020-21 school year. The list is not complete, and will be updated as more districts around the region announce their final plans:

Universal mask mandate

• Abington
• Coatesville
• Colonial
• Downingtown
• Great Valley
• Hatboro-Horsham
• Haverford
• Upper Moreland
• Lower Moreland
• Lower Merion
• Methacton
• New Hope-Solebury
• Norristown
• Owen J. Roberts
• Pennsbury
• Perkiomen Valley
• Philadelphia
• Phoenixville Area
• Pottstown
• Tredyffrin-Easttown
• Upper Merion
• Wissahickon

Partial mask mandate, or dependent

• North Penn (elementary schools only)
• Springfield - Delaware County (elementary schools only)
• Rose Tree Media School District is requiring masks for all in grades K-6. If Delaware County has substantial to high transmission, masks will also be required for grades 7-12.
• Upper Moreland (masks required for all while district is in substantial to high transmission)

No mandate

• Bensalem
• Boyertown Area
• Central Bucks
• Council Rock (meeting to be held on Aug. 26 to review policy)
• Daniel Boone Area
• Marple-Newtown
• Pottsgrove
• Spring-Ford Area
• Twin Valley