William Floyd School Officials Urge Hochul Keep Parental Control On Masking

MASTIC BEACH, NY — William Floyd School District officials penned a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul asking her to "respect and uphold" local and parental control on COVID-19 protocols, like masking in the classroom and vaccinations.

In the Jan. 10 letter posted to the district's website, Schools Superintendent Kevin Coster and the Board of Education, describe how they believe the district has operated safely since the removal of the mask mandate in winter 2022, allowing a mask-optional policy in schools. The letter then goes on to urge the governor not to make COVID-19 vaccinations a requirement for school attendance.

Both items are "of great concern" to the district, the letter states.

A district spokesman said the letter was sent out of the concern school officials have heard from parents. Similar letters have been sent out to Hochul from school districts across Long Island, including Massapequa and Elmont, he said.

State legislation mandating vaccinations in schools failed, but was later sent back to the health committee for further debate.

In the letter, the group says it hopes Hochul "take these points into consideration and remember them should any bills pertaining to either subject come across your desk in the future."

Patch has reached out to Hochul's office for comment.

In December, the state's Department of Health contacted school districts reiterating COVID-19 protocol, which mirrors that of the federal government, including up-to-date vaccines and boosters, good respiratory hygiene, and the wearing of a well-fitted mask indoors or in crowded areas.

"Schools, as government and health department officials have stated throughout the pandemic, have had extremely low in-school transmission rates," the letter states. "Since your removal of the in-school mask mandate during the winter of 2022, we have operated safely and with great success on this front."

"Additionally, we have heard from a number of parents regarding the negative effects mandated masking had on their children’s emotional well-being," the letter continues. "We request that you allow school districts to have local control and decision-making on this matter, as we believe students should have the right to wear or not wear a mask, if they or their families so choose; and, as duly elected officials, locally-elected boards of education have the wherewithal and the knowledge to do what is best for their respective communities."

District officials noted that with "rumors swirling," legislation pending, and the addition of the COVID-19 vaccine to the recommended childhood schedule by the Centers for Disease Control in October, "many parents are concerned the state will add the COVID-19 vaccine to the required schedule making it compulsory for school attendance."

The letter goes on to say that Hochul's remarks in the Oct. 25, 2022, gubernatorial debate against former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin "did nothing to assuage that notion."

"Based on those remarks, it seems that it is possible the COVID-19 vaccine will be required beginning in the 2023-24 school year," the letter continues, adding a user-generated C-Span clip and then a verbatim transcript from the debate in which Hochul is posed the question of if she would enforce a mandate.

Hochul then says she is not, and tells the debate moderator that the decision comes down to the Legislature, which makes the determination, though she does say that she would encourage the vaccination of children.

The letter highlights parents' "vehement opposition" to vaccinations for reasons, including mRNA as a new technology, the lack of protection against infection, the speed of vaccine production, the lack of long-term studies and results, and the anecdotal evidence of severe adverse reactions causing risks outweighing the benefits.

"Many parents, in no uncertain terms, have assured us they will either move out of state or homeschool their children — in numbers far greater than when the religious vaccination exemptions were removed at the end of the legislative session in June 2019," the letter states, adding, "Multiply that by nearly 700 school districts statewide and the effects of a mass exodus from public education in New York State would be devastating."

"With that said, we request that local district control for duly-elected boards of education be honored regarding masking, as well as parental decision-making (for children under 18) for vaccination against COVID-19," the letter states.

The news comes as Boston brought back mandatory masking this week after an increase in numbers.