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Dear Parents and Guardians:

As you are aware, a judge from Long Island’s Nassau County ruled against the Governor’s authority to enact a mask mandate earlier this week. That decision was temporarily stayed pending a decision by the New York State Appellate Court.

At this time, a decision has not yet been made by the court. While we are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon, it is hard to predict when that will be. It could take as long as a few weeks. As no decision has yet been made, students and staff members are still required to wear masks while on campus. As the District has done throughout the pandemic, we will continue to follow guidance coming from the State Education Department,  the State Department of Health and the Columbia County Department of Health

Below is a statement made by New York State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Betty A. Rosa:

“Earlier this week, the Appellate Division, Second Department issued a stay order which upheld the Department of Health’s mask requirement in schools (10NYCRR 2.60). Although the court set a hearing deadline for today, the State Education Department has confirmed that this deadline pertained only to written submissions. SED anticipates that the court will issue a further ruling in the coming weeks. Until such time, the mask rule remains in effect. School districts must also abide by any commitment to mask wearing contained in their publicly posted reopening plans for the 2021-2022 school year.”

More information will be shared when it becomes available. Thank you for your continued cooperation and patience.