Wolf administration asks schools to voluntarily enforce gathering limits

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, September 18, 2020 | 4:27 PM

Purchase Photo Options

The updated guidance for high school sports and spectators promised by Gov. Tom Wolf was a no-show Friday.

Instead, the state Department of Education released an afternoon statement encouraging schools “to voluntarily enforce the 25-person indoor and 250-person outdoor gathering limitations while all of us wait for the court to rule on the stay request.”

School administrators are curious how Monday’s federal court ruling that declared Wolf’s gathering limits unconstitutional affects them. Wolf’s restrictions were intended to slow the spread of coronavirus, but they’ve prevented schools from admitting spectators to many of their athletics events.

Football stadiums have stood mostly empty.

On Wednesday, while answering questions at an unrelated news conference, Wolf said his administration was requesting a stay of that court decision and would appeal the ruling. He added that information for schools would be available “either Thursday or Friday, so that school districts have this.”

Friday’s statement noted that schools remain responsible for enforcing state order that require face coverings and social distancing.

“We trust that school leaders understand the critical importance of maintaining the health and safety of our school communities,” the education department statement said.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.