Williamsville Central School District

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06-06-21 Mask Guidance Update to Families

June 6, 2021

 

Dear Williamsville Central School District Families,

We wanted to follow up with you regarding the mask guidance correspondence we sent Friday evening.

Sunday afternoon, this message was received by district superintendents from the New York State Education Department (NYSED):

SED has been in communication with Executive staff regarding the attached letter from Dr. Howard Zucker, New York State Commissioner of Health.  According to conversations with Executive staff, the intent of this letter was to obtain a response from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding differing standards for summer camps and schools; it has not changed any existing arrangements.  Therefore, schools should continue to operate under their existing procedures until further notice.  No changes have been, or will be, made by the Executive until after Monday June 7 to afford the CDC an opportunity to respond to the letter.”

Pursuant to the memo from NYSED, at this time, current mask guidance remains in effect. All students and staff are required to wear a mask.  When updated health and safety guidance from the New York State Department of Health is formally sent, received, and reviewed by the District – as we have throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – we will communicate those potential changes to families and staff as quickly as possible.

We will continue to follow current mask protocol until there is a change in guidance. In essence:

Each of our schools have personal protective equipment, such as masks, available to students and staff if they arrive at school without a mask or need a replacement during the day.  If a student or staff member does not have a mask, they will be provided with one.  As a reminder, masks are currently required to be worn on the bus.  Bus drivers have extra masks to provide riders should they need one.

Throughout the pandemic, our District has worked tirelessly to provide proper, appropriate, and transparent communication to keep our school community informed.  We will continue to do this, whether updated guidance is received Monday, Tuesday, or later this week.

We know these are difficult times.  As we shared on Friday, we remain encouraged by the decline in COVID-19 in our region and the rise in vaccinations.  However, we still have those in our school community who are unvaccinated and immunocompromised.  We have to remain vigilant in our mitigation practices to ensure our school environments are as healthy and safe as possible.

Thank you for your patience as we await updated guidance and information from NYSDOH.

Sincerely,

Dr. John E. McKenna
Acting Superintendent of Schools