A second Long Island school
district announced that it will restore parental choice for masks
once the governor's mandate expires.
The superintendent of Plainedge
schools says the district plans to give parents the choice related to
mask-wearing in schools on Feb 16.
The announcement comes after
Massapequa announced Thursday evening that its Board of Education
voted to eliminate the mask mandate next month.
"I'm pretty happy about
it," says Tyler Carmody, a student at Massapequa High School. "I
don't like wearing masks so it's good I don't have to wear them anymore."
A Massapequa school board
member says that by enforcing the mask mandate, they are making students
"hate school."
"Let's let them love
school again," the board member says. "Let's let a kindergarten
teacher see those smiles and unobstructed giggle."
Massapequa was the first school
district to take formal action on halting enforcement of the state mandate
after Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order allowing
schools to make their own decisions regarding masks.
A teachers union representative
in the Connetquot school district says administrators have not been enforcing
the mandate.
"They're circumventing the
mandate with behind-the-scenes lack of action, the lackadaisical attitude, no
enforcement of the rules," says Tony Felicio.
The districts' announcements
and action have drawn criticism from Gov. Kathy Hochul.
She says schools are safe
because people have been wearing masks and that children have been adapting to
it.
Massapequa's mask option policy
would take effect Feb. 21. If the state does not extend the Feb. 15
expiration date, Hochul says that Massapequa's policy would not matter.
"So, I'm not sure what
they're trying to say on that front but news flash, when the state requirements
lapse, everybody can not follow them any longer," Hochul said Friday
during her COVID-19 briefing.
Hochul also said that the state
is weighing options on what to do with districts that do not comply to mandates
that are in place.