State Says Masks Are Still Required In New York Schools Monday

LONG ISLAND, NY — Despite announcing Friday that New York school districts would be allowed to make masks optional come Monday, the state threw a monkey wrench at districts Sunday that will keep masks on in Long Island schools for at least another day.

In a letter to the CDC Friday, state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said as of Monday, masks in schools will be strongly encouraged indoors, but not required. There will be no enforcement — unless the CDC advised the state before Monday of contrary data or science, he added.

But the CDC as of Sunday night hadn't responded to the letter.

The state Department of Education said Sunday afternoon that since the CDC hasn't yet responded to Zucker's letter, the mask mandate will remain in place Monday.

"Schools should continue to operate under their existing procedures until further notice. No changes have been, or will be, made by the executive until after Monday, June 7 to afford the CDC an opportunity to respond to the letter," the letter said, according to the Times Union.

Some school districts moved quickly over the weekend to announce that masks would become optional come Monday and then were left scrambling Sunday.

In the William Floyd School District, officials there said they had been planning to make masks optional Monday.

"However, just prior to making that information public, at 1:43 pm today, June 6, 2021, superintendents across the state received an email stating that individual districts cannot change their mask policy as nothing has been officially adopted or enacted," a post on the William Floyd district Facebook page says.

At least one Long Island district is ignoring the new guidance from the state's education department.

The Sachem Central School District's Board of Education voted Sunday night to make masks optional Monday. The district's attorney urged the board to wait a day for more guidance from the state, but seven of the nine board members voted in favor of defying the state and making masks optional in Sachem schools Monday. Watch video from that board meeting.

"I say we make masks optional tomorrow," board member Laura Slattery said, "because this has been too confusing and then let them come and tell us, 'No, we didn't mean that.' Let us say masks optional starting tomorrow. New York state, you come here and say, 'No, you can't do that.'"

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran also didn't hide her frustration with the state.

"The conflicting messages coming from the state regarding masks in schools are causing confusion for school officials and parents," she said in a statement. "We need clarification immediately. This decision must be put in the hands of the educators and parents who know their children and particular circumstances best."