Dear Avon community:
We want to pass along some important news about COVID related matters.
Mask Requirement Court Case- A Quick Summary-
- A Long Island Supreme Court judge overturned the mask requirement.
- NYSDOH and the Governor's Office appealed the decision.
- A ‘stay’ was put in place. Therefore, the mask mandate remains in place until an additional ruling can be made.
- Friday, January 28th was a deadline for the litigating parties to submit briefs.
- A decision has not yet been made, but one is expected by early March.
- Officially, the current mask requirement for schools will expire on February 21st unless additional action is taken.
Advocacy-
- We have regularly made reference to the strong collaboration that has existed in our region. We are thankful for the shared efforts that helped to shape our decisions during this pandemic. Through local schools, our BOCES, the Livingston County Department of Health, our school physician, and various local government officials, this teamwork has helped us to keep our footing on an uncertain path.
- As this path will hopefully lead us from pandemic to endemic, we feel it is time to return control to our local schools. Therefore, I am obligated to communicate the position of the school so you can make informed decisions for the road ahead.
- As a district, we will continue to follow required practices. That said, should the mask requirement be lifted, then I do not foresee a situation where our local health department would require masks. If at some point down the road, NYS, NYSDOH, or our local LCDOH are not requiring masks, then in all likelihood the Avon Central School District will follow suit and masks will be made optional. For clarity, masks continue to be required at this time. The purpose of this communication is to let you know what to expect if/when the requirement is lifted.
- Related to this, Avon has joined in regional advocacy efforts based on establishing local control of decision-making. The three items below communicate some regional, local, and individual advocacy efforts. Please contact Jen VanRy at jvanry@avoncsd.org if you would like to schedule a time with me to discuss any of the information shared.
Thank you.
