On Sunday, Feb. 27, Governor Hochul announced the lifting of the NYS state mask mandate in schools, effective March 2. This follows guidance from the CDC on Feb. 25 that essentially ended required masking in all public places, with a few exceptions. Furthermore, the CDC rescinded guidance that required masking on school buses. The Governor did leave in place the ability for counties to continue to mandate masking in schools on a county by county basis. Therefore, once we receive confirmation from Tioga County, effective March 2, 2022, masks will be optional in the Newark Valley Central School District. Thank all of you for the patience, support, and understanding that you have demonstrated to us throughout this ordeal.