The Lincolnwood District 74 school board on Feb. 15 stood by a decision to shift to a mask-recommended, but not required, policy at its three schools in a move that highlighted strong differences of opinion within the community. The action came prior to the Illinois Appellate Court’s Feb. 17 ruling which undid the state’s mask-wearing requirement in schools.
At the conclusion of the raucous Feb. 15 special meeting at District 74’s Lincoln Hall Elementary School, the school board reaffirmed the district’s resolution regarding the use of face coverings and symptom screening originally passed last September.
Moreover, the board affirmed the superintendent’s revisions in the plan as presented in the district’s letter to the Lincolnwood learning community dated Feb. 6, announcing the shift to the mask-recommended policy.
That move angered some parents and the leadership of the Lincolnwood Teachers Association, citing a lack of notice and transparency because it came following the temporary restraining order issued by a downstate judge in the Austin V. Pritzker case removing the state’s mask mandate—even though District 74 was not one of the defendants in that case.
On Feb. 17, an appeals court rejected the state’s request to reverse the downstate judge’s ruling.
District 74 Superintendent Kim Nasshan addressed the controversy at the start of the meeting.
“In hindsight we could have done other steps,” Nasshan said. “However, we made the decision with the information and the resources gathered at the time from Friday evening to Sunday evening.”
Lincolnwood Teachers Association Co-President Stacy Panoutsos reiterated previously-stated union criticism of the move and a lack of consultation regarding the shift.
“We are not here to debate masks,” she said. “We are here because of the lack of leadership the district and the school board showed by breaking their commitment to bargain with the LTA (Lincolnwood Teachers Association) about changes to our working conditions. They have yet to acknowledge that mistake.”
After Panoutsos spoke, other members of the public spoke out in a meeting which sometimes got rowdy and lasted well over an hour. Many speakers frequently interrupted, with school board president Kevin Daly at one point snapping his fingers directing one audience member to be silent.
In addition, at least one school board member was approached by some audience members in the parking lot after the meeting.
Asked after the meeting about his role in the decision to shift to mask-optional, Daly would not discuss it.
“I’m not here to answer your questions,” he said after the meeting had ended.
Some parents said they were angered by the decision to shift to mask-optional and a lack of communication about the reasoning.
Lincolnwood Village Board Trustee Atour Sargon left a village board meeting taking place concurrently saying she had been unable to get information on who made the decision to shift, how did the person come to make the decision and how has the district prepared students and families for the change.
She said she only heard back from one school board member.
“The issue at hand here is the lack of transparency and communication from the school board and administration to teachers and families,” Sargon said. “The worst part is that it was completely avoidable.”
“This was done cloak and dagger,” added community member Sebastian Napoli. “On a Sunday night, no one knew about it, no one had any say about it.”
Many parents supported the decision to go to mask-recommended.
“Thank you for giving us the respect to parent our children and making this decision for ourselves,” Melissa Theodore said.
Another parent, Emily McCall chastised some teachers noting her son was treated badly after the announcement of the shift for not wearing a mask.
“Last week you failed the children in their impressionable lives,” McCall said.
After more than an hour of spirited public comment, board members did not debate the resolution. Then Daly, and fellow board members Myra Fourtis, Jay Oleniczak, Peter Theodore and John Vranas voted to support it.
Vranas said the reason for his vote was “because it was in the best interests of the children,” but did not elaborate further.
School board members Rupal Shah Mandal and Elaina Geraghty cast no votes.
Geraghty said she was questioning the process leading up to the decision to switch.
“As a board member, I learned about it by reading my email,” she said.
The school board is next scheduled to meet again on March 3.
