Garden City Mandates Masks For Start Of School Year

GARDEN CITY, NY — Despite opposition from parents at the meeting, the Garden City Board of Education voted in favor of a reopening plan that would mandate students wear masks, at least for the beginning of the year.

The proposal put forward by Superintendent Dr. Kusum Sinha calls for all students to wear masks while indoors and on buses for the beginning of the year. There would be monthly assessments, Sinha said, which could lead to the policy being altered.

Sinha said that students wearing masks would allow all students to have instruction in the classroom as the new school year begins. It would also mitigate the effects of quarantining on the district if students or staff become infected with the coronavirus.

According to the county Department of Health, anyone in close proximity (three to six feet) of an infected person for 15 minutes must be quarantined. However, there is an exception for students: if the infected person was a student, and they and everyone around them were wearing masks, then only the infected student needs to quarantine.

By wearing masks, Sinha said, the district can avoid large groups of students from having to quarantine, or avoid an entire school building shutting down due to quarantines.

The school year will start as normal, Sinha said, with all classes beginning on time. There will likely be field trips and sports competitions this year, and musical and theater productions will take place.

There will be no daily screenings for students, and they will eat lunch in the cafeteria. Enhanced cleaning protocols will remain in effect, especially for high-touch areas.