School District Tries To Unmask Students, NY Says 'No' [POLL]

NEW YORK — One school district in New York thought it had found a way to unmask its children in the classroom, but no sooner had they announced masks could come off than the state said, "Not so fast."

Commack School District officials on Long Island said an interpretation of the April 9 guidance from the state Department of Health, which said, "Six feet of distance is required when eating meals or snacks, or drinking, or other times masks must be removed," meant that masks were not necessary since the district has diligently maintained 6 feet of social distancing for all students.

The governor's office said that they could see how the district interpreted the guidance to allow changes to mask protocols, but it wasn't a correct interpretation, News 12 reported.

Commack Superintendent Donald James then informed parents that there would be no loosening of mask restrictions, and the state would be sending inspectors to assure there is compliance.

The district said it was clearly trying to make changes during the coronavirus pandemic that support "the health, safety, and emotional wellbeing of our students."

District officials said, however, that it would push for parents to have a say in whether children should wear masks in schools.

A spokesperson for the state health department said there should be no confusion about masking guidelines in New York schools.

"We specifically require universal masking, consistent with the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], in the current iteration of our guidance," the health department told Patch.

Masks are required to be worn by everyone in all classroom and non-classroom settings, including hallways, school offices, restrooms, gyms, auditoriums and more, the state said.

The CDC said, in a May 15 update, that schools should continue using the current coronavirus prevention strategies for the rest of the school year, including children and adults wearing masks.

Now it's your turn to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.