The Pleasant Valley School Board voted Thursday night to open attendance to the district’s home sports events capping attendance at 25%. Before that, the state permitted up to 250 people, including athletes and coaching staff of both teams, to attend games.

School board Director Teresa Greggo, the chairman of the athletic committee, made a motion that the school board allow spectators to attend the district’s home programs at or under the 25% attendance cap. The motion also included giving two passes per visiting player.

Mark Fitzgerald, the solicitor for the school board, explained that the state is allowing school districts to decide for themselves the attendance cap for sporting events. The change came about due to a ruling in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday to override Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto of House Bill 2787. The vote was 130 to 71. The act takes effect immediately, but only applies to public schools. Fitzgerald said this is the latest ruling on the matter, but changes are possible.

The bill starts off establishing that, “No person having any form of COVID-19 in a transmissible stage may be permitted inside a school entity or to participate in person in any sports or extracurricular activities.”

The law requires school districts to “develop an athletic, health and safety plan addressing school sports and other in-person extracurricular activities during the 2020-2021 school year.”

It also states that school districts must follow additional criteria including:

• Setting safety protocols for permitting visitors and spectators to attend sports and in-person extracurricular activities.

• Limits on gatherings for indoor and outdoor sports and in-person extracurricular activities to ensure social distancing.

• Protocols for sports consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Considerations for Youth Sports.

• Methods of ensuring that social distancing and other safety measures are in place for students, staff and spectators.

• The rules must be enforced.

• The athletic, health and safety plan has to be posted and publicly accessible on the school district’s website and the plan has to be submitted to the state Department of Education.

• The school district can change the athletic, health and safety plan as needed.

Before the vote was taken, parents gave their support for increasing the attendance cap, but also weighed in on who could attend.

Angela Hill of Polk Township asked that passes be available to the parents of the band and cheerleaders, too, in addition to the visiting players being given passes.

Fitzgerald said the motion specifically states at or below 25% capacity, and that it is up to the discretion of the school board after the meeting.

Meredith Mead of Chestnuthill Township, said, “All home parents should be able to attend.”

She said at least one parent needs to be able to attend not only to support his or her child, but also in case there is a medical emergency. Mead also asked that the band and cheerleaders be allowed to be present on the same side of the field, because they work together in support of the players.

The motion made by Greggo was not amended to specifically state who on the home side would be allowed to attend. Lesisko said in an interview that it was left open to allow for the athletic director to weigh in on this, because he is knows more about the attendance rates of games. The motion was passed unanimously.