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More than 60 Republican state lawmakers are urging Gov. Tom Wolf to allow parents to attend high school sports events.
House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, and 62 other Republican lawmakers said in a letter to Wolf Monday that parents should be able to watch their kids compete. They argue that with social distancing, parents can safely attend games despite the coronavirus pandemic.
They also sent a separate letter to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the governing body overseeing high school sports.
Last week, the PIAA said high school sports in the fall would move forward but without spectators, a concession to the pandemic. The lawmakers contend that parents, who pay taxes to support their schools, shouldn’t be barred from watching their children play.
“The parents of these students have supported their children and, often times, the school sports team in various ways during the student’s journey and there is a deep satisfaction from the ability to watch their loved ones compete in something they value,” the letter to Wolf stated.
“At a time when folks have had the five-month long experience of social distancing and protecting themselves and others from a contagious virus, it makes no sense that people might be less safe sitting in the football stands or around the high school track at a soccer match, with appropriate modifications, than in the aisles of their local mega retailer,” the letter continued.
In a press briefing Monday, Wolf said that schools should be consistent and if schools weren’t having in-person classes, “it seems hard to justify having in-person contact sports being played in the fall.”
Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Monday more guidance on high school sports activities would be coming later this week.
The PIAA said last week the decision on allowing spectators is ultimately up to the Wolf administration.
In their letter to the PIAA, the lawmakers said they are glad to see sports on the calendar, but some spectators, including parents, should be allowed. While the lawmakers focus much of their case on allowing parents to attend, they aren’t saying attendance should be limited solely to parents.
The lawmakers’ letter to the PIAA states, “without spectators – especially parents – able to watch their children and community members succeed on the field, something of the experience is lost.”
In addition, the lawmakers cited other considerations in allowing parents to attend, including authorizing treatment if a child is injured and requires medical attention.
Lawmakers also said the governor should be consistent in allowing local school districts to make decisions on sports. Just as Wolf has said he supports local school districts deciding on offering in-person classes or remote instruction to start the year due to COVID-19, those districts should determine if parents can attend games, the lawmakers said.
Schools throughout Pennsylvania are still refining their plans for opening schools in the fall. The Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown school districts are starting the fall with remote instruction only.
School systems across central Pennsylvania are planning for face-to-face instruction, although they are offering online options for parents wary of sending their kids to school. Some districts are opting for a hybrid approach, with in-person instruction on certain days and online courses on other days.
At the college level, some conferences have postponed sports in the fall. The Ivy League and Atlantic 10 conferences said last month they are suspending fall sports. The Centennial Conference, which includes several Pennsylvania colleges, also suspended its fall sports schedule.
More than 114,000 Pennsylvanians have contracted the coronavirus and more than 7,200 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, according to the state Department of Health.
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