As the vaccine rollout continues and infection rates drop, the state has been gradually easing restrictions placed on school districts to follow. Parents and administrators alike were glad to see steps taken for schools to begin to mimic pre-pandemic learning.
At the very beginning of this school year, masked students arrived to see plastic barriers erected between desks. Most engaged in either online or hybrid learning, utilizing applications such as zoom to interface in lieu of in-person learning. These precautions, along with social distancing all were designed to lower infection rates. Furthermore, all these were consistent with CDC and state guidelines.
CDC guidance has changed since the start of the pandemic, along with what the department of health recommends. As a result of these changes, desk shields (the large plastic partitions on desks) are no longer found in many long island school districts. The Commack Union Free School District and the Patchogue-Medford School district were quick to remove them. This decision was quickly followed by other school districts such as the Smithtown Central School District.
The state then issued new guidance for summer camp operators, which, amongst many changes, allows for vaccinated individuals to be unmasked. The decision was interpreted early by the Commack Union Free School District to mean that students could immediately come to school without masks on, so long as they were vaccinated.
However, just as quickly as this guidance was issued, the office of the governor undid it. The state reaffirmed its stance on masks for at least the remainder of this school year, that is, that they must be worn by all.
As reported by the Patch state health officials stated, “We specifically require universal masking, consistent with the CDC, in the current iteration of our guidance,”
“There is no ambiguity; masks are required In the Department of Health’s 24-page guidance document, and the use of and importance of masks is referenced 50 times,” the state further iterated.
Shortly after this situation, on May 18th, the Superintendents of Comsewogue, Miller Place, Rocky Point, and Port Jefferson school districts sent a joint open letter to the state asking for more local control over reopening guidance.
The letter lambasts guidance that has “stayed stagnant” despite “loosened” guidance from the CDC and state officials.
The officials added that “We recognize that these are unprecedented times, but we cannot allow inertia to be the basis for how decisions are made regarding our students emotional and physical health.”
The letter goes on further to state, “If summer day camps can operate without mandating that campers wear face coverings, then why should our schools not be given the same ability to extend mask breaks while students are socially distant or outside- many public schools will be operating summer camps in just a few short weeks.”
The superintendents hope that by giving control of more decisions to local administrators, they can help keep up attendance, since “with the increase in warmer weather, coupled with not giving parent’s choices regarding students wearing masks, they have begun to keep their children home due to mounting health and safety concerns.”
The topic of school openings was a contentious issue this past election day, where Long Islanders voted for their Board of Education candidates. In Port Washington and Smithtown, the challengers running on a more relaxed opening policy swept the election.
