It means, effective immediately, school mask mandates are no longer mandatory, although many schools have a local rule that students who wish to wear a mask may still do so.

The suit was brought by Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, a Republican who is running for governor. It was filed personally, as a parent, along with other parents, and not as part of a Senate action.

"With today's ruling, the power for parents and local leaders to make health and safety decisions in our schools is restored," Corman said in a prepared statement.

"That power comes with an obligation to review the facts and act in the best interests of our communities—which is why legislative leaders sent a letter to Governor Tom Wolf yesterday to reconvene the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force. I encourage all stakeholders to review the needs and conditions in our communities to make the best choices for our kids."

Wolf recently announced he would return masking decisions over to local school leaders on Jan. 17, so some were surprised when the state's Department of Health appealed the Commonwealth Court's decision and continued fighting for the mandatory mask mandate.