Brooklyn’s prestigious Poly Prep Country Day School became the first city school to make masks optional Thursday — but state officials call the move a “violation.”
Administrators at the private school — where all students and employees must be vaccinated — sent a letter to parents this week to announce the momentous shift.
The school’s paper, The Polygon, was first to report the news.
“In light of these sharp declines in case counts and our most up-to-date evidence, wearing masks will be optional beginning on February 14 for all students and employees,” wrote the school’s health director, Sarah Zuercher.
Asked about the guidance Thursday, state health officials said the step violated ongoing school mask mandates.
“The New York State Department of Health is aware and has been in contact with the New York City Department of Health regarding the violation,” said spokesperson Jill Montag.
Poly Prep Country Day School’s students and staff members will be allowed to remove masks starting Feb. 14 due to the city’s decreasing case count. Paul MartinkaHead of School Audrius Barzdukas told The Post Thursday that the school did not make the call lightly.
“We feel confident making this decision because of our stringent health and safety protocols, including required community-wide testing, required vaccinations, and the rapid response of our COVID contact tracing team.” he said.
A teacher said Thursday that parents were united in lobbying for the new policy.
“The parents are happy with the decision,” the staffer said. “They made it very clear they didn’t want their kids wearing masks.”
Poly Prep’s decision came shortly after Gov. Kathy Hochul lifted the state’s indoor mask mandate. Robert MillerA Poly Prep mom also supported the school’s stance.
“I think it’s good kids don’t have to wear the masks,” she said.
“Both my kids have already had COVID. I feel masks for kids are just performative at this point.”
Administrators said there have been no serious COVID-19 cases at the school and have all been “mild to asymptomatic.”
They encouraged those who still wished to wear masks to do so and said weekly testing protocols will remain in place.
Hochul hasn’t decided on when to lift the mask mandate for public schools in New York. James Messerschmidt for the NY PWith locations in Park Slope and Dyker Heights, Poly Prep enrolls more than 1,000 kids across grades K through 12.
“We will support each individual’s choice and will follow up immediately if our mask optional policy must change,” Zuercher said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would wait until after schools go through the mid-winter break before deciding whether to lift the statewide mask mandate, while New Jersey and Connecticut have already announced they’ll be lifting their requirements in the next few weeks.
