Fox Chapel Area School District parents have started opposing online petitions regarding the district’s proposed voluntary mask-wearing policy for students and staff.

A petition drive on ipetitions .com, started Tuesday by Sarah Stanger, asks the district to require mask-wearing on campus and had gathered more than 375 signatures as of Thursday morning.

A petition on Change.org, created by Mandy Seidel, advocates for a lifting of the school mask mandate and had 170 signatures as of Thursday morning.

Organizers on both sides plan to present their petitions to the school board at Monday’s agenda study session and at its Aug. 9 meeting before a vote is expected on the district’s health and safety plan.

Stanger of Aspinwall has children who attend O’Hara Elementary. She said she is aiming to gather 1,000 signatures for her petition and wants to keep schools open and children safe.

“We believe the best ways to accomplish that is to follow the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for universal masking in schools until all who can be vaccinated are fully vaccinated,” Stanger said.

Seidel, 36, of Fox Chapel moved to the district in 2019 from North Allegheny and said she created her petition at the end of last school year because she wants to promote what she said is “mask choice.”

She said she won’t send her children back to in-class instruction at Fox Chapel if the board approves a mandatory mask-wearing rule. She remains undecided on what educational course of action would be next for her children.

“It’s concerning to me, the timing, now that it’s back-to-school time. I don’t take what they (the CDC) say to heart,” Seidel said. “I will not send my child back to school with a mask.”

Seidel recognized that some district parents may not be comfortable with a voluntary mask rule and said the district offers a virtual and home school option for students wishing to remain off campus.

“For parents like me, however, we want our kids back in schools and able to grow, thrive and learn as normal as they can possibly be,” Seidel said.

Kim Bowles, 40, of O’Hara said she signed the petition in favor of mandatory masks and is unhappy with the current voluntary mask-wearing policy included in the district’s proposed health and safety plan.

Bowles said she recently emailed the district expressing concern over the lack of a mandated mask policy and wasn’t satisfied with the emailed response from Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac.

Reljac wrote that masks will be required on district transportation, and if requirements change at the local, state or national level, the district will make a change and require masks.

Reljac added, “As always, we are doing our best to make measured decisions. We are not trying to offload hardship onto others. I am sorry that you are so disappointed in our efforts.”

“The decision they are planning on making is unsafe and means I can’t send my kids safely to school next year,” Bowles said.

According to a message from Reljac on the district website, if the current health and safety plan is approved, mask use will be strongly recommended but voluntary for the upcoming 2021-22 academic year.

Bowles said current CDC guidelines recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Under current CDC guidelines, only children 12 and older may receive a covid-19 vaccine.

Emily Glick, 35, of O’Hara has two elementary-aged children. A frequent school volunteer, she said she saw first-hand the struggles teachers and students faced daily pertaining to wearing a mask.

“I think we need to listen to our children and teachers as what the experience is like to wear a mask for eight hours,” Glick said. “My children tell me it’s hard to wear a mask. I believe the mask is actually causing problems, and I would only consider a face shield for my children because they allow for air flow.”

Glick is advocating for choice in mask usage and said she plans to address the board, along with about 20 other parents who agree with her, at the Aug. 9 board meeting.

“I’m not trying to oppose, but there’s a lot of people who want to have choice,” said Glick, adding she will work to gather what she called signatures on paper. “Online signatures can be signed as many times as one wants,” she said.

Cherie Lauric River of O’Hara has two children in the high school. She said she’s in favor of the district’s current stance on masks.

“I support the district and their rationale with making masks optional and allowing each family to decide what’s best for their child’s health at school,” River said.

Adriene Rister of Fox Chapel, a former public health nurse with children in the district, signed the petition in support of mandatory masks. She said she was “disheartened” to hear there was a petition circulating to not mask up in school.

“With the increased transmission of the delta variant and so many of our students unvaccinated, why would we take unnecessary risks? Kids have adapted and worn masks without incident last year. It’s a simple act of protection that we need to mandate in our schools until all can be vaccinated. Voluntary mask wearing is not enough,” Rister said.

The district did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. District residents with comments or questions related to the Health and Safety Plan are asked to email healthandsafetyplan@fcasd.edu

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