We are seeing now the results of the state Health Department’s flip-flopping on back-to-school guidance.

After weeks of waiting for a promised response from the state to updated Centers for Disease Control recommendations, the state Health Department abruptly reversed course. Since March 2020 the state had micromanaged COVID-19 measures, so local school districts were expecting the state to live up to both its word and its past practice when it came to back-to-school guidance this year.

Some districts, like Jamestown, were ready for the state’s shenanigans by planning for the start of this school year on its own since April. Here in the north county, Dunkirk and Fredonia find themselves behind the proverbial 8-ball.

Last week, Brad Zilliox, Fredonia superintendent, said district officials are pulling together a plan based on state Education Department guidelines released last week and conversations with fellow area district superintendents.

Dunkirk, meanwhile, has said it will return to in-person instruction five days a week, which is the most important piece of information parents need as they prepare child care and work schedules.

Mike Mansfield, district superintendent, said the district is still deciding on whether or not masks will be required. Three school board workshop meetings will be held in the coming days to finalize back-to-school planning so that the district can involve union representatives, nurses and others before finalizing other guidance.

As we said last week, we prefer local control to the state’s micromanaging. But we hope word of this confusion reaches incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul so that she can spread the message to Zucker, if she chooses to keep him, that the type of mixed messages school districts received in the past month must end.

It’s not the first time Zucker has been as clear as mud during this pandemic. In our view, it needs to be the last.