The first city school to drop student mask mandates abruptly scrapped the plan Friday after getting an earful from state and city health officials.
Prestigious Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn previously told parents this week that masks would be optional beginning Monday.
Citing falling COVID-19 cases and the effectiveness of their coronavirus mitigations, the school had said it was confident in its decision and had the overwhelming support of parents.
But administrators reversed course Friday, saying that city and state officials prohibited the move as a violation of law.
“We received clarity today from the NY State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that such a measure is not permissible under current state- and city-wide restrictions,” wrote Sarah Zuercher the school’s director of health and well-being, in a note to parents.
“Accordingly, we are going to delay our implementation of this mask-optional policy until it is permissible within state and city regulations,” she said in the message.
While Gov. Kathy Hochul lifted mask mandates for indoor businesses, they remain in effect for schoolchildren.
State officials have argued that they are a necessary safeguard against transmission in schools.
“We know some of out youngest learners may be disappointed or confused regarding this change in plans,” Zuercher wrote. “When speaking with your children, we recommend discussing the need to be flexible in life.”
The K-12 school — which requires all students and staff to be vaccinated — had stressed that it had not had any serious COVID-19 cases and that infections had been dropping.
Hochul has said she plans to revisit the state’s school mask mandates in March.
“We look forward to a return to normalcy as soon as is permissible,” Zuercher concluded in her letter.
