Weatherly Area schools students can choose to not wear masks in school starting Feb. 22 after students return from the Presidents weekend break.

At a special meeting on Monday night, Weatherly Area School Board members voted 5-4 to update the district’s health and safety plan.

On a motion by Tom Connors Jr., voting in favor of lifting the mask mandate were board President April Walters and members Connors, Matt VonFrisch, Nancy Mulvaney and Ken Jacoby III. Opposing the change were members Bill Knepper, Barbara Sipler, Christy Minor and Chrissie Houser.

Prior to the vote, the board heard from school nurse Becky McFadden. She felt the board should be protecting the district’s students “to the best of our ability (for) the safest environment.”

She wanted the mask mandate to stay in place, asking the board to review the numbers of COVID cases from now until the board meeting on March 2.

Also speaking at this meeting were parents Ryan Binder, Gary Eichorst and April Houser. Each advocated for parents to choose for their children.

The new rules still mandate masks when visiting the nurses’ offices, and when riding school buses.

In other business, board members were unanimous in hiring Quad3 Group engineers to find solutions for water issues on the soccer field and nearby land behind the high school property at 601 Sixth St.

Also by unanimous vote, Nicole Snyder was hired to become the junior high softball coach for the newly forming team.