Long Island school boards association side with Hochul in mask fight

Nassau-Suffolk College Boards Affiliation blasted Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman for defying Gov. Hochul's masks mandate for varsity college students.
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A Lengthy Island college board affiliation is siding with the state in a confrontation over college masks mandates.

Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman defied Gov. Kathy Hochul final week in issuing an govt order permitting particular person college districts to scrap masks necessities for youths.

Blakeman argued that particular person college boards ought to have the suitable to independently make that willpower primarily based on their particular circrumstances.

However the Nassau-Suffolk College Boards Affiliation blasted Blakeman’s gambit and mentioned that Lengthy Islanders are rightly beholden to Hochul’s mandate.

“New York State Training Legislation is evident as to who has authority over colleges,” NSSBA president Michael Kelly wrote in a letter to Blakeman.

Kelly argued that faculty boards are creations of the state relatively than the county.

Blakeman argued that particular person college boards ought to have the suitable to independently decide whether or not masks must be required or not primarily based on their very own distinctive circumstances.

Bruce Blakeman for Nassau County

Hochul rejected Blakeman’s order, affirming that the state’s order supersedes his efforts.

James Messerschmidt for NY Publish

“Counties don't have any extra authority to direct college board issues than do colleges to legislate county affair,” Kelly mentioned.

Hochul additionally dismissed Blakeman’s college masks order, arguing that the state’s order supersedes his efforts.

The NSBBA referred to as on Blakeman to withdraw the order.