While the new Nassau County Executive has signed an order allowing schools to drop masking policies, some of the most outspoken districts are resisting change in fear of retaliation.
In Massapequa, some parents have been rallying for months to pressure school officials to allow students to go maskless indoors.
Those parents were hopeful when Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an order that would allow school boards to decide whether students should or should not wear masks.
However, when the Massapequa school board met shortly after Blakeman’s declaration, a different decision than what was expected was announced.
Similarly, the Long Beach Board of Education announced that it will also continue to abide by state law, which requires all students, staff and faculty to remain masked while indoors.
Meanwhile, Jericho School District Superintendent Hank Grishman thinks masks are beneficial in keeping kids healthy, and he sees no reason to drop the mandate now.
Gov. Kathy Hochul implied that schools that do drop the mask mandate could see repercussions, including losing state funding from the Department of Education.
Dr. Robert Dillion, the superintendent of Nassau County’s Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), also said board members who vote to remove masks from schools could also be removed from their positions.
Nassau County plans to continue distributing KN95 masks, on request, to all school district employees who request one.