Mandatory masking in schools: A nuisance, but no big deal for most students

Parents have been at the forefront of urging school administrators to take a stand against the state’s September mandate requiring mask-wearing in K-12 schools.

Meanwhile, objections from students have been rare. And school administrators responsible for enforcing mask-wearing have reported little to no issues from students.

After the state Department of Health’s decision, protests were common throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania, including at Kiski Area School District, where parents and their children protested for three consecutive days. Parents of students at schools where masks had been optional, such as Deer Lakes School District and Hempfield Area School District, voiced their concerns and frustrations at school board meetings, saying it should be a choice. Burrell School District offered private meetings with parents unhappy about the required mask-wearing.

But interviews with a range of students show a generally pragmatic approach. Some students who wore masks before the mandate did not see a difference in their high school routine.

Zoe Seitz, a junior at Deer Lakes High School, said she thinks masks protect everyone’s health. She wore her mask when Deer Lakes left masks optional.

“It is protecting all of us. It may be uncomfortable, but it is really good for our country and school district,” she said.

Scott Richards, a sixth grader at Leechburg Middle School, said wearing the mask in gym class can make it hard to breathe during aerobic activities. Before the mandate, he did not wear a mask until he was exposed to the virus and had to quarantine.

“There is still a high chance of getting covid, but it’s lower than before than if you didn’t wear a mask,” he said.

His sister, Ava, a sophomore at Leechburg High School, wore her mask while it was still optional at the school to avoid quarantine because she plays sports.

”If someone has (covid), wearing a mask keeps everyone safe,” she said.

Anita Mash is Hempfield Area High School’s assistant principal for ninth and 10th grades. She said students have been cooperative with wearing masks. The school provides a mask to any student who forgets one.

While there have been few issues with compliance, she said there are times when students are reminded to wear their masks properly.

“I don’t think anyone likes wearing a mask, but the state mandate exists, and if wearing masks is what keeps us in school, we do it while trying to provide a sense of normalcy for our students,” Mash said.

A reflection of home views

Dr. Todd Wolynn, CEO of Kids Plus Pediatrics, said household beliefs can influence children’s beliefs. Kids seem to tolerate masks just fine and wore them the entire previous year without any issue, Wolynn said.

“Oftentimes, the kids who say they are against the masks, their entire family unit is opposed to masks,” he said.

He noticed last school year that students and parents complied with masks after schools closed and went online, then reopened. The relaxation of masks during the summer created a routine of people getting used to not wearing them, he said.

“When we went back into school, it was the exact same time that the anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-science movement started using masks as a point of contention, saying that they had their liberties infringed upon,” he said.

While most students comply with the rule, some wish there was a choice. Some who are vaccinated said they think mask-wearing is not needed. On the other hand, students living with vulnerable family members might have strong reasons for being masked at school.

Before the mandate, 30 Allegheny County school districts required masks.

Marcus Vallano, a senior at Hempfield, said he believes masks should be a choice based on the individual’s home situation.

“I think if you wanted to come with a mask, you can — if, for example, you know you see your grandparents every day,” he said. “But if you know you are not at high risk and you feel like not getting vaccinated and not wearing a mask, then that’s on you.”

Samuel Spence, a sixth grader at Acmetonia Elementary School in the Allegheny Valley School District, said it is hard for him to breathe in the mask and he gets headaches from the classrooms being “hot and stuffy.” Allegheny Valley required masks before the mandate was in effect.

While Spence said he does not mind whether a student wears a mask, the masks feel restricting to him. Since his mother met with school officials at the beginning of the year, Spence does not have to wear a mask while seated behind a shield and spaced 3 feet apart from other students.

“We just want covid to go away so we can go back to the real normal and being normal kids again without the masks in school,” he said.

Tricky situation

Alex Smith, another senior at Hempfield, said masks do not serve a purpose for her because she is vaccinated.

“The purpose of a mask is to protect others around you, and I feel like the vaccination, that kind of covers it,” Smith said.

Although Smith wishes the mandate were instead a choice, she understands the tricky situation the school is in.

“I think the school is in a bit of a rut right now because it is a mandate. So if we do decide to not mandate it at our school, then our funds can be taken away. So I definitely understand the purpose of the mandate,” she said.

“But I do think it should be a choice.”

Then there are students like Jack Manpower, a 10th grader at Norwin High School. At this point, he has lost interest in a debate over mask-wearing.

“I’m not pro or con on the mandate,” he said. “It’s gone so far into the pandemic that I’m used to it.”

Tribune-Review staff writer Joe Napsha contributed.

Tanisha Thomas and Megan Tomasic are Tribune-Review staff writers. You can contact Tanisha at 412-480-7306 and tthomas@triblive.com, and you can contact Megan at 724-850-1203 and mtomasic@triblive.com.