Sachem School Board Throws Out Mask Mandate For Classrooms

RONKONKOMA, NY — Sachem School District's Board of Education voted on Sunday to make it optional for students and staff to wear masks.

As part of the measure, which went into effect on Monday, school officials advised that students should still wear masks on the buses to and from school, according to a post on the school district's Facebook page.

The measure veers away from New York State's guidance, which still mandates masks in classrooms. In a flip-flop over the weekend state officials, who were leaning toward relaxing the mandate, instead opted to keep the mandate in place.

In a statement to News 12 on Monday, School Board President Alex Piccirillo said the school board needs "to do what's best for our community."

"I interpreted Friday's guidance to say if the CDC has a problem with this plan, they need to respond, if not — this is what we are going with," he said.

He continued, "This whole situation is confusing and frustrating for the board, community, and district because of conflicting information from the state of New York. If they would like to send a clarification out, then we would be happy to reconvene."

In apparent disagreement with the move, one commenter on the district's Facebook page said they were reporting the school district to the New York State Department of Health, prompting a separate debate with another user responding, "and..."

Yet another wrote, "tattletale."

Other commenters seemed to be pleased like one who posted a meme of Mel Gibson's famous scene from the 1995 movie Braveheart about Scotch rebel William Wallace rallying his troops shouting, "Freedoooom!"

Another posted, "YESSSSSSS!"

Patch posed the question as to whether the board made the right decision on its own Facebook page. The response was mixed.

"Absolutely!," wrote one woman, adding, "Finally a decision based on science and not political motives or control. So happy our board stood up and did the right thing!"

Another commenter responded, "Nope. Less than 3 weeks left of school, seriously. If the District gets fined I hope these Board members are the ones shelling out the money and not the tax payers."

Yet another wrote, "Yes. If you want to wear a mask wear a mask. If you want get vaccinated get vaccinated. If you don't don't. Proud of sachem."

And another, "No. Extremely irresponsible and potentially dangerous."

The Sachem School District was not the only school district to go maskless on Monday. Patchogue-Medford officials also decided to allow students and staff to go without facial coverings given the warm weather and taking into consideration the state's proposal to relax the mandate.