BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) Local school superintendents are all smiles when it comes to the lifting of the statewide mask mandate. Districts have been calling for an off-ramp for ending the mask mandate for weeks. Starting Wednesday, these will be smiles you can actually see.
"I give the governor credit for adjusting her timeline in reassessing the mask mandate, after CDC guidance came in on Friday," said Michael Cornell, President of the Erie Niagara School Superintendent's Association and Superintendent of Hamburg Central Schools.
He added, "This is sooner than Governor Kathy Hochul anticipated. And for that, we're grateful."
Regarding the revised CDC guidance, Cornell says it recognizes
what he and other educators have known to be true for a long time. That universal masking is not a requirement for schools to be safe.
What is Cornell's level of confidence, that schools will be safe, after Wednesday? "100%," he said. "I think we're going to move very quickly beyond this masking question and focus on the real work in schools."
It is highly expected that school districts across the state will make masking optional starting Wednesday.
"We're ready to go," said West Seneca Superintendent Matthew Bystrak. "We've been very careful in schools. We've had relatively low infection rates and spread within schools." Adding, "We're very excited that we're going to be able to enter the next phase of the pandemic."
Bystrak says some parents have been asking for an option on masks. But, by and large, people have been very supportive of the mandate.
"We sent information to our district families Sunday. We made sure to say that anyone who wants to wear a mask can do so and that bullying will not be tolerated," said Bystrak.
The mask mandate is also being lifted on school buses. "According to what the governor said Sunday, masks will be optional on school district buses as well," added Cornell.
"It's time to focus on the academic progress of students, and the mental and emotional wellness of our students, staff and families," he said.
Are there consequences from universal masking? Yes, answered Cornell. "There are developmental consequences associated with it. But it's different for every child. For some children there are absolutely no consequences. For others, it may be significant. The work ahead will be to dial-in on every child and make sure we meet their needs."