Parents of students at Mahanoy Area School District were warned about their kids violating the face mask policy on Tuesday.
District officials say if a student continually violates the school’s face mask policy, they’ll be relegated to attending classes virtually, possibly until “COVID has passed in the state.”
The school posted this warning on its official Facebook page Tuesday evening.
Mahanoy Area Threatens Students with Virtual School for Violating Face Mask Policy
And when Mahanoy Area says violation of its face mask policy, it doesn’t mean just not wearing one. The school means it better not catch students with their mask not covering their nose and mouth at the same time.
There are 3 levels to Mahanoy Area’s discipline policy concerning face masks.
The first time a student is caught not wearing a mask, they’ll get a written warning by the school Principal.
If it happens again, the student is moved to “Option 2”. That means they’ll have to attend classes virtually for 1 week after that second violation. “Option 1” is apparently attending school in-person full-time.
Students are banned from entering any school buildings if they’re in Option 2. If the student who twice violated the face mask policy gets through a week of virtual learning, they can return to Option 1.
However, upon returning to Option 1, if that same student violates the school’s face mask policy a third time, they’ll have to take classes virtually, perhaps forever, as this warning is written. Mahanoy Area says a serial violator like this can not return to in-person classes “until COVID has passed in the state.”
This warning is a bit repetitive in nature, as it’s written, but says:
“Upon return to option 1, third time a student is not wearing a face covering correctly (covering nose and mouth) at all times when not taking a break designated by the teacher — student will be moved back to option 2 until COVID has passed in the state. Student may not enter the buildings at any time.”
That seems like an uphill legal battle for Mahanoy Area. We’re not sure you can kick a student out of school – or force them to take classes virtually and ban them from stepping foot on school policy – over a face mask policy potentially forever.
Even though the swine flu pandemic was in 2009 and no one really talks about it anymore, H1N1v, as it’s now known, is still an active virus and people contract it all the time. If you get a flu shot annually, the vaccine for it is in that but it’s not even close to 100% effective.
So, barring some miracle vaccine that wipes “COVID” off the map entirely, Mahanoy Area is essentially saying that 3 violations of the school’s face mask policy could prohibit a student from attending classes in person forever.
Of course, maybe when it says “has passed in the state” Mahanoy Area means “everyone stops freaking out about it.”
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Rev Harry Powell
September 29, 2020 at 8:29 pm
Mahanoy Area is no stranger to lawsuits. They lost a doozy earlier this year which cost the taxpayers a pretty penny.
Not surprising the imperious attitude of the district, as there seems to be alot of “heroes” in charge there.
Humanity Against Stupidity
September 30, 2020 at 7:27 am
This districts board is a joke. Their legal council lacks common sense. Seems like they are setting themselves up for another round of lawsuits for the ACLU, like the last one that slammed them wasnt enough. I’ve seen several staff members around the children not wearing masks including the principal. Theres photos circulating on Facebook. Are staff exempt from this school mandate? That entire board needs to be replaced. They cost the taxpayers a several hundred thousand dollars with there last bit of stupidity. Those board members and administrators need to be investigated. Perhaps I’ll pass the info I have onto state and federal officials
InvestigateMahanoyAreaSchoolBoard
October 1, 2020 at 12:31 pm
Absolutely ridiculous!! Over the summer when the superintendent held a zoom meeting informing parents of the plan to reopen the school, parents were informed that if a child had a medical condition that prevented them from wearing a mask, even with documentation verifying the medical condition, the student still had to wear a mask if attending in person. So no mask, your child was not allowed to attend in person school and only permitted to do virtual learning. Isn’t that discriminatory? That policy also goes against CDC’s guidelines, American Academy of Pediatrics’s guidelines, etc?
Now that the kids are back in school, even though parents were previously informed in the summer that children would not have to wear masks when they were at least 6 feet away from each other or when they were outside but that is not the case at all. The kids have to wear the mask all day long, getting approx. 10 five minute mask breaks. They are even required to wear a mask when outside for recess and during gym class! For example, while students are standing 6 feet apart, outside, doing calisthenics and when they are running around the field. This most certainly is not what the CDC or American Academy of Pediatrics’s recommends at all. I think this is absolutely ridiculous at least & quite possibly harmful to students’ health!
Mahanoy area needs to get it together!!
October 3, 2020 at 9:29 pm
Covid-19 just made this staff feel like they could do what they want! I been in the school a few times already and not all staff wears a mask all the time. Also makes them think they can just go around changing things. Many kids have IEP’s. Both of my kids do. Aparently behavior charts are a risk. And due to covid-19 they will no longer send them home. Its in his IEP. But i have have junk papers sent home but not the papers im supposed to have! Insane!!!
Cheryl Andreas
October 31, 2020 at 2:53 pm
Children of any age should not be masked it is not normal and causes fear and anxiety which leads to behavioral problems.
PTFloridians
June 1, 2021 at 8:03 pm
The problems lie with the money connected to the district, via the state and fed…
…Blackmail and extortion are the political tool of the day, belched out my the ruling class and low level bootlicker nobodies on the school board, in order to be good little recipients of the funds that are dangled by our current regime
…also, the teachers and teachers union have sway over every move that occurs in these environments. I heard that theyre exhausted after all these months of doing nothing but instructing your children to watch youtube videos as they fritter and waste the hours of the day via their virtual racket.
…stop paying your school taxes…that’ll send a message