Marion Center Jr/Sr High School Home

Monday evening the Marion Center Area School Board voted to revise the District's current Health & Safety plan to allow students who are identified as close contacts to a COVID positive person to remain in school as long as they are not demonstrating any symptoms. Any staff or students who are currently quarantined and not exhibiting any COVID 19 symptoms may return to school. The district will continue to contact trace and notify parents of children considered close contacts. We continue to ask parents to be diligent and monitor their child's health. Please keep your child at home if they are not feeling well. Masks continue to be required on school buses based on the federal mandate. They are optional in the building for those that choose to wear them. Please click "Read full story" to view the current Health and Safety Plan. The specific details for our district start on Page 4.

MARION CENTER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT Office of the Superintendent P.O. Box 156  22820 Route 403 HWY N.  Marion Center, Pennsylvania 15759 (724) 397-5551 Ext. 5000  (724) 397-9144 FAX December 13, 2021 Parent/Guardians: As you all know the district sent out an all-call last evening informing the community that the mask mandate has been lifted. The PA Supreme Court ruled the Department of Health’s mask mandate to be unconstitutional and as such, it was ended effective immediately. As a result, masking within our school buildings will be optional and parent choice. However, it is important to understand that the Court’s decision does not apply to busing. Masks on buses are governed by the federal government. Masks are still required for all students and staff members while riding the school bus. Throughout the pandemic, the community has been a great support to our schools, students, and staff members. These are trying times for all of us and your flexibility and understanding does not go unnoticed. It is my number one priority to keep our kids safe and healthy. We continue to update our website with how COVID is impacting our schools. We continue to identify positive COVID cases each day and are forced to quarantine students to ensure their safety and the safety of others. It breaks my heart to have to quarantine students and remove them from the normal educational process. I will continue to ensure your children’s safety and limit the potential of community spread to the best of my ability. I am glad we no longer have to wear a mask but I am fearful that the number of quarantined students may rise based upon the current guidelines surrounding contact tracing as per the DOH. As a district, we will continue to plan ahead but take it one day at a time. I want to give everyone a brief reminder of MC’s current quarantine practices. I will include a link from PDE that outlines the process in detail. • All positive students must be quarantined • All students who have been exposed to a positive Individual within 6ft for 15 minutes will be quarantined • If your child chooses to wear a mask and is exposed to a positive COVID individual who is not wearing a mask, both children will be quarantined. Both parties must be wearing a mask. • If your child is vaccinated, 10 days have passed since their last dose and is exposed to a positive COVID individual they will not have to quarantine pending they are not symptomatic. • Responding to COVID 19 I will continue to keep you informed as we progress through these turbulent times. Please enjoy the holiday season and much needed time spent with family. Sincerely Clint Weimer

The PA Supreme Court issued an order on November 30, 2021 extending the duration of the mask mandate to December 8, 2021. The PA Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the appeal on that date and may or may not decide to keep the mandate in place during the appeal process. The District will continue to keep you updated on the situation.

Earlier this week, the Commonwealth Court issued a ruling voiding Acting Secretary Beam’s school mask order. The state filed an appeal immediately, which could trigger a stay of the Court’s ruling and keep the order in effect.  Secretary of Education Noe Ortega advised that schools should continue to observe the school masking order throughout the duration of the court’s proceedings. Until we have a clearer direction from the PA Supreme Court, we will continue to implement the mask mandate within the school building until we have a clearer direction on the matter. It is important to note that the current ruling does not overturn the CDC's federal mandate of wearing masks on school buses. Students are required to wear masks on buses, regardless of the PA Court ruling.