The Board of Education meeting that took place on Jan. 25 had a dense agenda, and reflected the controversy among Port Washington students and parents due to the recent ruling on mask mandates in New York, which dropped mandates in businesses and other indoor spaces.  “I find it phenomenally disappointing that people are willing to play politics with children’s lives,” said Governor Kathy Hochul during a press conference at the Brookhaven National Lab on Jan. 21.

However, on Jan. 24, a judge in a lower court ruled that Governor Hochul’s administration lacked the constitutional authority to mandate mask-wearing.  An appeals judge quickly restored New York’s mask mandate a day after the ruling, but there was a significant amount of noncompliance with the mask-wearing mandate in Schreiber as well as widespread confusion and concern about the future of the school’s policy.  These concerns dominated much of the school board meeting.  Multiple parents gave speeches to the board stating their frustration with the mask mandates.

“Not enforcing mask-wearing rules harms people who are worried about family members and teachers who have loved ones that can die or be hospitalized due to COVID because of medical circumstances,” said senior Aaron Triffleman-Miller in a speech in favor of the mask mandates given in front of the Board and parents.

“I loved being a part of the Democratic process, so it was overall a positive experience,” said senior Triffleman-Miller. 

After intense and at times acrimonious speeches were given by the community, the Board discussed the necessity for a decision on the matter of whether the New York State Department of Education should repeal the mask mandate.  A great deal of time was spent reiterating the fact that it was an especially divisive issue, and that preparing for different scenarios was necessary, though few clear conclusions were actually made.  

Two proposals for specific scenarios were decided upon: if the mandate were to be repealed on Feb. 1, the Board would need to make a decision on how Port Washington continues with its mask enforcement, and the administration would begin working on questions regarding the mask option and report back with a draft on Feb. 15 under the assumption that the mandate is expiring and new practices need to be put into place.  The discussion of the necessity, or lack thereof, of masks was hotly contested, and remarks from various members of the Board of Education often spurred disruptions from the crowd, specifically during Triffleman-Miller’s remarks.

The Board of Education meeting on Feb. 1, 2022, began with a reminder from the Board that civility from the audience during the proceedings of the meeting is necessary to efficiently cover the agenda of the meeting and maintain a respectful environment.  During the community comments portion of the meeting, freshman Shayna Blumenfeld gave a speech to express her concerns about the violation of standards of civility for board meetings, which dissuade students from offering points of view on disputed topics.

“I’m not here to give my opinion on mask mandates in school, but rather to exercise my right to share my concern around the lack of decorum and speak to the obligation of the board, and after last week’s meeting I am concerned,” said Blumenfeld.

She urged the Board to recognize the flaws of the discourse of the last meeting and the unfortunate likelihood that it would prevent student engagement in political discourse, for fear of “being interrupted, intimidated into silence, or fearing for their safety.”

At the meeting, Schreiber also announced a plan to end live streaming.  Quarantined students will still access current schoolwork through Google Classroom, and can utilize the existing extra help schedules should they need support from their teachers.  Students experiencing COVID symptoms will be able to contact their teachers and work out accommodations.  Another factor that was considered was the student-teacher relationship, and the ability to maintain it while the student is home and not live streaming.

“Every student or teacher in Schreiber is familiar with this,” said Schreiber social studies teacher Mr. Andrew Vinella.  “This model continues what we are already doing and have been successful with.”

Questions from parents followed, and the tone was mainly positive, with a majority in agreement with the presented plan.

After a brief review of the school budget, the approval of new Board policies concerning student attendance, and a few community comments, the meeting concluded.  “The Board of Education and our district have always complied with the State’s mandates and will continue to do so,” said Emily Beys, the president of the Board of Education.  “Thank you to all our students and staff who have navigated through this pandemic with civility and patience.  You all continue to make us proud.”