Westmont Hilltop parents petition to have mask mandate rescinded
Aug. 25—As the first day of school at Westmont Hilltop School District arrived on Wednesday, a petition created by parents to rescind the current mask mandate has garnered roughly 1,000 signatures.
"We're all in agreement that the current plan is the worst possible option," Jason Ward said.
He has three children in the district and is part of the organizing group that released the petition, which was posted on www.change.org by fellow organizer Melissa Pribozie.
Last week, the Westmont School Board voted 5-4 to require unvaccinated students and staff to wear masks inside while vaccinated individuals have the choice to wear face coverings.
Ward said hundreds of parents and community members are concerned that decision will cause "division and animosity" in the buildings.
"This will welcome conflict amongst the vaccinated and unvaccinated (children and adults) which will impede the students' learning experience, be damaging to our students' and teachers' mental and physical health and well being, and it disregards the parents' rights to make decisions that we feel are best for our children," the petition says.
They would prefer the district leave the decision up to the parents and guardians.
Pribozie, who has two students in the district, said she and the others are upset with how Westmont handled the situation.
"It's been very poorly communicated with the parents how all this would go down," she said.
The mother questioned if students would be separated at lunch or in the classroom between mask wearers and those without a face covering and the legality of sharing a student's vaccination status.
Pribozie also said that she hasn't been able to access the district's health and safety plan, which should be posted online.
Jennifer Wilkinson added her signature and commented that, "Masking children all day in school is ridiculous, unnecessary and cruel."
Another signer, Ashley Albert, wrote that she supports the petition because the current mandate "allows segregation and bullying."
She commented: "Either everyone wears a mask or no one wears a mask."
Pribozie agreed.
"If it can't be parent's choose we would like to see everyone masked," she said.
Mask-wearing in area schools has largely remained optional, but some rules have recently been changed.
The Greater Johnstown School Board approved a face-covering mandate connected to the community transmission rate during an emergency meeting Aug. 20.
Richland administrators released an update Tuesday requiring that masks be worn between classes and when six feet of distance cannot be maintained for 15 minutes or more.
Ward said he and a number of other parents, including Pribozie, are planning to speak at the September school board meeting.
"We're open to talk to everybody about it," school board President Robert Gleason said.
He voted against the district's mask mandate at the previous meeting, stating the decision should be left up to parents.
Thomas Mitchell, Westmont superintendent, has not responded to a message regarding this petition.
