Keystone Central officials: district will follow state mask mandate as it is now

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – Keystone Central School District Superintendent Jacquelyn Martin and school board members said at the board meeting Thursday night that the district’s mask-wearing mandate will remain in place, until if and when the current state directive changes.

The superintendent brought the public up to date on what she called “the legal gymnastics” unfolding in Harrisburg: a state lower court Wednesday took the Wolf administration mask mandate out of play, but that action was stayed when that court decision was appealed to the state Supreme Court. At this point, Martin said, the legal status of the mandate is not in question.

Bottom line, the superintendent said, if the stay is lifted, then the wearing of masks would become voluntary. But she said such a change in the local policy would be delayed until the next school day. She noted the district had planned to make mask-wearing voluntary in August, but the state imposed the masking mandate just at the start of the school year.

Board president Tracy Smith said the district has a duty to uphold the law, including the mask mandate. Multiple board members expressed their unhappiness with what board member Jeff Johnston called “the political battles” in Harrisburg.

There were indications at the meeting that there had been some level of unspecified threats towards the board or the superintendent over the district handling of the mask issue, but Johnston said, “We are not the bad guys” and the superintendent is not responsible for what comes down from Harrisburg and, “We have to follow the law.” He and other board members said the district could be in financial jeopardy to do otherwise. Several expressed frustration over the masking issue, saying that local control has been taken away by Harrisburg.

Both the board president and the superintendent thanked parents within the district for their cooperation. There were a few members of the public who offered comment on the issue; their views were split and one said nearby districts elected not to follow the state mandate.

The meeting saw a budget update for the 2022-23 school year beginning in July of next year. The superintendent and Joni MacIntyre, district fiscal operations manager, said they are planning on another no-tax increase budget next year. Martin noted the district has been able to maintain a “healthy” reserve fund, now just over $16 million.

The board said goodbye to Renovo area representative Eric Probert. This was his last meeting as he elected not to run again this year. District administrator Betsy Dickey presented Probert with a memento from students at Bucktail High School and Renovo Elementary. Students there wrote that they “appreciated the support from an outstanding school board member.” Probert noted a sense of “doom and gloom” within the district when he came on board four years ago. He said the doom and gloom are gone and “things are looking up.”