On Friday night, the Marion Center School Board held an informational meeting concerning the recent masking mandates made by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Many parents during the meeting spoke against the mask mandate. Jennifer Ashbaugh of Marion Center said that she had heard that if a school district did not follow the mandate, they would face a $300 fine.
Superintendent Clint Weimer said that he and the board did not have a choice but to follow the mandate as it comes from the state levels.
It was also recommended that those who were against the mandate should contact the Department of Health directly.
The board and Weimer also addressed a concern with the issue of sending kids home if they were not wearing a mask and refused a mask that would be offered. Weimer said that they want to exhaust every possible avenue before it gets to that point. District solicitor Carl Beard added that the district would also work with those who genuinely cannot wear a mask due to medical reasons.
The mandate does go into effect on Tuesday, but a lawsuit has been filed by several concerned parents and PA Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman and Representative Jesse Topper seeking to overturn the mandate, claiming it did not go through the regulatory review process.
