Local school districts will no longer require students to wear masks indoors

Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday, February 27 announced that the statewide masking requirement in schools will be lifted on Wednesday, March 2.

Hochul’s announcement included the option for counties and cities to continue keeping their mask mandates in place, but Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan released a statement saying that local schools would be able to follow suit.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have prioritized the health and safety of our children,” Ryan said. “Thankfully, COVID-19 cases in Ulster County have declined 97 percent since the Omicron surge and the public health risk is significantly reduced. In line with New York State’s decision to lift the mask requirement for children two years and up, and based on the CDC placing Ulster County in the ‘Low’ COVID-19 Community Level, children in Ulster County two years old and over will no longer be required to wear masks indoors in school or childcare settings effective March 2.”

Following Ryan’s statement, local school districts quickly announced on their official websites that they would follow the guidance and lift their mask mandates on Wednesday.

Kingston City School District
“…the Kingston City School District (KCSD) will go ‘mask optional’ beginning on Wednesday. Any student, faculty/staff member, or visitor who would like to continue to wear a mask in the school setting are invited and encouraged to do so. The choice to wear a mask in school will be a personal and family decision.

“KCSD will continue to distribute test kits as they are available and inform our community of vaccination opportunities. We will also continue to have masks available as needed and keep our KCSD Current Cases webpage up to date.”

Saugerties Central School District

“On Wednesday, March 2, 2022, masks will be optional for students on campus,” read the Saugerties statement. Saugerties Central School District will be following this guidance. We anticipate further guidance from the State, County and DOH on what the procedure will look like.”

New Paltz Central School District
“Since Ulster County has low transmission levels, starting on Wednesday, March 2, masks will be OPTIONAL for all students and staff members,” read a message from New Paltz Central School District Superintendent Angela Urbina-Medina. “We ask for everyone’s respect for individuals who choose to continue wearing masks at school. None of us know the health concerns of our students and staff or of their loved ones and this personal choice should be respected by everyone.”
Urbina-Medina said that lifting the mask mandate did not mean the pandemic was over.

“Vigilance and consideration of others has gotten us to the point we are today, where we can see the removal of masks in the days ahead,” she wrote. “We must continue to use caution by monitoring for symptoms and staying home from school if sick. If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they should notify their school immediately…We expect additional details from the State about the lifting of the mandate and how it will impact other protocols, such as quarantine and Test-to-Stay to come in the next several days. We will continue to keep you updated of any additional changes to COVID-19 protocols.”

Onteora School District
The Onteora Central School District will also be following this guidance and masks will be optional for students in the school buildings. “We anticipate further guidance from the State, County, and DOH on what the procedure will look like,” Interim Superintendent Marystephanie Corsones wrote in a statement on the district’s website. “We will provide updates as additional information becomes available.”

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