Panther Valley School District will keep masks on through mid-January.

The local mask requirement will give students ages 5-11 time to get both boosters, the district says.

“We want all the kids in the elementary school, 5-11, to have a chance to get vaccinated if they haven’t yet,” said David McAndrew Jr., Superintendent of Panther Valley School District.

School board members voted last week to extend a local mask mandate through Jan. 16. The rules will be in place regardless of the state Supreme Court’s ruling in a lawsuit brought by Republican lawmakers against the Wolf Administration over its mandate for masks in schools.

The contested order, issued by the Pennsylvania The Department of Health in August, says anyone in a school, early learning or child care facility must wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. It has exemptions for people eating or exercising in well-ventilated areas. It follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation for indoor masking in schools.

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is set to hear arguments this week. It has said the Wolf administration’s mask rules can stay in place until it makes its decision.