PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg Community Schools announced yesterday in a letter from the superintendent that in light of a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, they will be requiring all students, staff and visitors to be masked while in school, which starts next week. “Mask use is effective at reducing the transmission of the COVID-19 virus,” Superintendent Richard Proffitt said in the letter. “Last year, Pittsburg Community Schools was among the few school systems of our size that were able to stay open and offer in-person learning.