A shift to remote learning Monday because of the potential impact of demonstrations on students over the use of masks in schools lasted one day in Freemont School District 79 in Hawthorn Woods.
All four district schools reopened Tuesday after the one-day pause for remote learning as a handful of parents, some with children, stood at the entrance of the driveway to two of the buildings holding signs asking that students no longer be required to wear masks.
Sarah Roy, the mother of children in eighth, sixth and fourth grade, held a sign reading “Honk for Choice.” She feels both parents and children should decide whether youngsters don a mask. The district still requires that all personnel in the buildings wear them.
“Our kids need a choice if they want to wear a mask,” Roy said. “They shouldn’t be forced to do it.”
There was also a police presence around the school buildings and grounds. At least six cars from the Lake County sheriff’s police were in the driveways and parking lots at approximately 8:30 a.m. At the time, there were more police than demonstrators.
District 79 Superintendent Bill Robertson was standing outside the Freemont Intermediate School with three other officials. He declined to talk about the demonstrations or the reasons for the return to school after one day of remote learning.
“I have no comment,” Robertson said. “I’m outside working,” he added as he watched buses bringing youngsters to school at approximately 8:45 a.m.
Nick Brilowski, the district’s director of public relations, declined to comment on the reasons for the return to school after one day, or on comments made by the demonstrators. He said the district’s complete statement on the issue was contained in a message sent to families Sunday.
School officials said in the statement demonstrations were planned Monday at some or all of the schools, and classes would be conducted remotely to avoid any impact the protests could have on learning.
“These protests include intentions to confront and/or interact directly with students,” the district said in the statement. “These protests would create a substantial disruption to the learning environment and would negatively impact our ability to deliver education to our students.”
Roy said demonstrators planned to stand outside with their signs expressing a mask-optional position. Some people both driving by and entering the parking lot honked their horns. Others made R-rated comments.
A reason expressed in the statement for the remote learning day was the uncertainty created both by the ruling in a lawsuit issued by a Downstate judge allowing some school districts in Illinois to decide for themselves whether masks will be required in the classroom, and appeals of the ruling.
“While we all anticipated an expedited ruling already that may have provided a higher level of clarity, that has not happened and it now appears that the matter may be litigated for a longer period of time,” officials said in the statement. “We anticipate an appellate court ruling on this pending mask/mitigation matter by this Thursday.”
Brilowski said in an email District 79 is not a party to the litigation.
Commenting on Tuesday’s police presence at the schools, Lake County sheriff’s office Deputy Chief Chris Covelli said, “At the request of the school district, due to information they received of protesters interfering with students being dropped off and students being confronted, we had additional sheriff’s deputies at the school today.
“This was both precautionary and to ensure students, families, and staff knew we were present for their safety,” he said. “All was peaceful and there were no incidents.”
Along with uncertainty over the lawsuit, district officials said in the statement Gov. J.B. Pritzker plans to lift the statewide mask mandate Feb. 28, and the school mask mandate is scheduled to expire March 6.
“We must continue to make student learning and safety our primary focus,” officials said in the statement. “We ask for your partnership in ensuring that our schools remain welcoming and safe environments for all students to learn regardless of personal masking viewpoints. Our schools cannot become (battlegrounds) for differing adult opinions.”
In the week between the initial court ruling and Monday’s remote learning day, Roy said she understood students would be given one caution if they were not wearing a mask, and that would be the end of the intervention. That was not the experience she said some youngsters had.
“Teachers are doing this in each class,” Roy said. “Kids are starting to bully kids and teachers are bullying kids.”
Gosia Truszkowski, the mother of a kindergartner, preschooler and a child not yet in school said masks make it harder for her children to learn. They are English-language learners. One held a sign reading, “Unmask Our Children.”
“How can you learn English when you can’t see the teacher’s mouth,” Truszkowski said.
Brilowski declined to hear comments from Brilowski or Roy, saying the entirety of the district’s position is contained in the statement.
District 79 operates Fremont Elementary, Intermediate and Middle schools, as well as the Lincoln Early Learning Center, according to its website. There are approximately 2,240 students from Mundelein, Libertyville, Wauconda, Hawthorn Woods, Grayslake, Round Lake, Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods.
