Indian Prairie School District 204 will follow Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order that masks be worn inside schools when classes resume next week despite original plans in July to make them optional, officials said.
School board members supported the decision even as some parents urged them to defy the mandate.
“I know there are difficulties with masks and no loves wearing them,” board President Laurie Donahue said at Monday night’s meeting.
“However, I do believe the vast majority of kids would gladly wear a mask to help someone else or if wearing a mask will keep them in school. Everyone’s patience and flexibility will help us get through this very difficult environment.”
When presented last month, five of seven board members supported Superintendent Adrian Talley’s plan to recommend but not mandate students and staff wear face coverings.
On Monday, the board was in agreement on the mask rule given how much COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates had shifted since the last time they met.
“So much changed in the last three weeks and we have so much more clear guidelines from public health experts,” board member Supna Jain said. “I’m thrilled with the mask mandate and I believe it ensures we begin our school year with all safety mitigation measures in place to meet our objective: to bring our students back and to keep them (in school).”
Melissa Ward, who was among the parents who spoke in support of the district’s voluntary mask policy in July, said she was “perplexed” over why the school board wasn’t pushing for local control on the issue.
“Mandates and guidelines are not laws,” Ward said. “You should be fighting for your ability to make local decisions, not just sitting up there so you can say you serve on the District 204 school board.”
Robert Aarestad, a parent new to the district, said he wants “our kids in school unmasked, period.”
“I see all you guys playing with your masks. How do you think kids will struggle to keep these on and focus on their education, which is (the school board’s) role here,” he said.
The 2021-22 back-to-school plan’s goal is to keep schools open so students and teachers don’t have to return to remote learning, Talley said.
“By not following the guidelines, the following could very well happen: the Illinois Department of Public Health and the (local) health department could come and shut down the school or school system,” he said. “The state superintendent and the Illinois State Board of Education could remove our recognition status, which would impact our funding from the state and our ability to play sports.”
The school board approved an amendment to the student handbook to add provisions on such things as how to deal with students who don’t follow the mask rule, when and how temperature and symptom checks will be taken, and other prevention efforts to stop the virus’ spread.
Students could be excluded from school and school-related activities if they don’t comply with the rules and they could face disciplinary measures for repeated offenses, the handbook amendment said.
Indian Prairie’s updated return-to-school plan separates masks from other mitigation measures. While the district may ease some measures, such as contact tracing, quarantining and social distancing, if COVID-19 conditions improve over a two-week period, masks will be required for as long as the state mandate is in effect.
Students who needed to be quarantined or isolated due to COVID-19 will do remote learning while they are out.
The early childhood and elementary plan includes e-learning, remote check-ins and hours dedicated to literacy, math and social/emotional learning instruction, officials said.
However, there will be no “rooming and Zooming” — the practice of teachers simultaneously teaching to in-person and online students.
The plan for quarantined middle and high school students is to do live videostreaming of classes with limited interactivity, access to the Google Classroom platform for assignments and tap into support time if needed.
raguerrero@tribpub.com
