Central Bucks School District Says Masks Will Be Optional For the Upcoming School Year

One of the largest school districts in our area does not plan to require masks or vaccinations when students and staff return to the classroom for the 2021-2022 school year in just over a month.

The Central Bucks School District just announced that masks will be optional, and they will NOT require proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. Central Bucks School District will reopen on August 30, 2021.

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The district, which serves more than 18,000 students, says they will submit a plan for the upcoming school year — as required by Pennsylvania's Departments of Health and Education by July 31, 2021 — that seeks to return to full day in-person education (including extracurricular activities).

"Masking will be optional in schools and on buses, and the district is not requiring proof of COVID vaccination," Central Bucks' acting Superintendent, Abram M. Lucabaugh, wrote in a letter issued to parents on Tuesday.

The district's decision aligns with the CDC, who is not currently recommending that students and staff wear masks in schools.

However, his week the American Academy of Pediatrics shared a different sentiment. The respected organization said they're advising all students and staff over the age of two years old should wear masks, regardless of if they've been vaccinated against the virus or not.

Pressure is mounting on the CDC to possibly adjust masking guidance in the classroom and beyond as COVID-19 cases surge across the country once again.

"COVID is something we will need to learn to live with, and will require us to move forward purposefully, and with determination to mitigate the risks of spread while simultaneously restoring the quality and continuity of education our students and families deserve," Lucabaugh told parents on Tuesday.