The Tredyffrin-Eastown School Board unanimously approved a mask mandate for all students at a contentious meeting last week. Parents for and against in-school face coverings clashed, writes Caroline O’Halloran for SAVVY Main Line.

Camps of parents from both sides of the issue attended the meeting. They turned out in roughly the same numbers; however, those who opposed a mask mandate were significantly more vocal.

Some parents in attendance refused to wear masks properly, allowing them to slip under their noses or off completely. The board, citing safety concerns, threatened to walk out of the meeting, emulating similar action at a Great Valley School Board meeting earlier in the month.

Ahead of the meeting, school board members received a flood of letters, most of which were in favor of universal masking. Both groups of parents submitted petitions to the board in an attempt to bolster their stances. The pro-mask side had 600 signatures; anti-mask signers numbered more than 300.

Despite the rancor, all the attendees agreed that students desperately need to return to classrooms full-time, for as long as possible. They commonly recognized the need for in-person learning for their kids’ academic, social, and emotional health.

Read more about the Tredyffrin-Eastown School Board meeting at SAVVY Main Line.