KNOX, Pa. (EYT) — The Keystone School Board changed their health and safety plan during their combined work session and business meeting on Monday night, allowing close contacts who are asymptomatic to come to school without a mask.

However, the updated plan will require household contacts — or those students and staff who are in continual contact with a sick member of their household — to wear a mask if they come to school.

The change will take effect on Wednesday, January 26.

Keystone’s previous health and safety plan stated close contacts will receive education from home or come to school wearing a face mask for ten days or until they can produce a negative COVID test.

The change comes after board member Jason Say voiced his concern about the health and safety plan, which was on the agenda for the meetings.

“This is what I would propose to make it simple,” Say said. “If a kid is asymptomatic, he comes back to school. No mask requirements. No anything.”

Say also said the district should inform parents of CDC guidelines for quarantining and COVID if a student were to become sick or a close contact. However, he did not want language stating the district would follow those guidelines in the health and safety plan.

Jennifer Gornall, the district’s solicitor, advised the board because of the small number of mandates in place, COVID policies are being increasingly set by local school boards, giving them a lot of leeway as to what they wanted to do. However, she mentioned two recent legal decisions involving two suburban Pittsburgh school districts, North Allegheny and Upper St. Clair, in which federal judges ruled the schools must require masks after parents of disabled students sued, citing the American With Disabilities Act.

“It really is more of a policy decision than a legal decision, but I do feel compelled to say in the past one week, there have been two decisions and a temporary restraining order from a procedural standpoint in two different school districts in the western district of Pennsylvania,” she said. “In two different cases, the federal court did bring the injunction in favor of the parents of the disabled kids. That is not binding on your school district, but I’m just trying to watch for trends in the lawsuit that are out there.”

Board president John Slagle was concerned about household contacts and recommended if they come to school they should be required to wear a mask.

“I think the household ones are the hang-up for me. If those kids want to come back to school, they should be masking for a period of time or they should stay at home with the rest of their family,” he said.

The health and safety plan with the new rules for asymptomatic close contacts was approved, with all board members voting in favor. Board member Dwayne Van Tassel was not present at the meetings. The plan will be posted on the district’s website on Wednesday.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the hiring of David Wentling as a Full-Time, Permanent Custodian, effective January 25, 2022, pending proper completion of Personnel File Documentation and Clearances.
• Approved modifying Speech Pathologist, Samantha Toy’s, work week from three days per week to five days per week for the remainder of the School Year, effective January 25, 2022. Paid using ARP ESSER Grant Funds.
• Approved to Modify the Contract with Maria Vaughn, School Psychologist, from three days per week to five days per week for the remainder of the School Year, using ARP ESSER 7% Set Aside Funds.
• Approved the hiring of Kim Callander as a Paraprofessional, pending proper completion of Personnel File Documentation and Clearances, effective January 18, 2022.
• Retroactively Approved to Post for a Building Check Custodian.
• Approved to Appoint Scott Dowlan as Building Check Custodian, effective January 9, 2022.
• Approved the Resignation Letter from Kayla McConnell, High School Cafeteria Monitor, effective December 31, 2021.
• Retroactively Approved to Post and Advertise for a High School Cafeteria Monitor.
• Approved the hiring of Jordan Popolis as Varsity Girls’ Track Coach, effective immediately.
• Approved the hiring of Bobbie Heller and Franki Sheatz to split the Girls’ Varsity Track and Field Assistant Coach position, effective immediately.
• Approved the hiring of Jon Beal and Bill Weaver to split the Boys’ Varsity Track and Field Assistant Coach position, pending proper completion of Personnel File Documentation and Clearances, effective immediately.
• Approved the hiring of Andrew Lauer as Varsity Baseball Assistant Coach, pending proper completion of Personnel File Documentation and Clearances, effective immediately.
• Approved the Resignation Letter from Ryan Smith as Varsity Football Head Coach and Spring Weight Room Coordinator, effective immediately.
• Approved to Post and/or Advertise the Following Athletic Positions: Varsity Football Head Coach, Varsity Football 1st Assistant Coach, Varsity Football 2nd Assistant Coach, Jr. High Football Head Coach, Jr. High Football 1st Assistant Coach, Jr. High Football 2nd Assistant Coach, and Spring Weight Room Coordinator.
• Approved the hiring of Karen McGiffin as Mentor for Courtney Syfert.
• Approved the Lump Sum Request from Kami Coursen.
• Approved the Retirement Letter from Vernon Lauffer as Business Manager/Board Secretary, effective June 29, 2022.
• Retroactively Approved to Post and Advertise for the Business Manager Position.
• Approved the hiring of Tyler Chambers as a Mentor for David McCullough.
• Approved the hiring of Erik Sundling as a Mentor for Austin Chambers.
• Approved and adopted the PSBA Principles for Governance and Leadership, as presented.
• Approved the Revision of the 2021-22 School Calendar to add early dismissal days on March 21 and May 23. Students would get out three hours early and staff would stay for professional development.
• Approved the Clarion County Career Center Articles of Agreement, as presented.
• Approved the Advertisement of a 5-Year Bid for Food Service Management Operations.
• Approved the Upcoming Field Trip: 3/25/2022: Students to Clarion University for College Career Fair. Requested by Jennifer Wingard, using Principal Contingency Fund.
• Approved the 2nd Reading of the Following Policies: #006 Meetings, #006.1 Attendance at Meetings Via Electronic Communication, #146.1 Trauma-Informed Approach, #246 School Wellness, #314 Physical Examination, #626 Federal Fiscal Compliance, #705 Facilities and Workplace Safety, #903 Public Participation in Board Meetings, #904 Public Attendance at School Events, and #907 School Visitors.