September 8, 2021
Staff, Students, and Stakeholders,
Over the past few days, we have received questions regarding our District’s COVID-19 protocols and procedures. Most of these inquiries concern the Face Covering Order issued by the Acting Secretary of the PA Department of Health. We continue to receive new information and updates from the PA Departments of Health and Education. We will continue to keep our community updated as we receive new information and how it impacts our students’ education.
Please check the District’s website regularly for any and all updates throughout the year. As mentioned in earlier correspondence, as a public school district, we are required to follow local, state, and federal mandates. We do not want to interfere with anyone’s opinions, rights, or privacy. Our goal is to keep our schools open to continue receiving the best education possible. On that note, we have been mandated by the Commonwealth to mask all students, staff, and visitors while in our buildings regardless of vaccination status. With that being said, we received additional guidance on the evening of 9/3/21 pertaining to masking exemptions.
As such, per the DOH/PDE, those that have a need to be excluded from the masking Order must have a physician complete and return to the building principal the attached “Medical Excusal for Mask Exemption” form. Upon receiving this documentation, we will evaluate the need for any additional accommodations based on the disability. Please note, per the Order, your child must mask during the medical documentation timeline or be excluded from school.
In closing, the Laurel Highlands School District must implement the Commonwealth’s current masking Order as written. Universal face coverings will be required for all K-12 schools, transportation, and administrative buildings. Face coverings will NOT be required outdoors.
As more information becomes available we will forward it to you, please visit our website (www.lhsd.org) to learn the latest information. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jesse T. Wallace, III
Superintendent