A judge recently blocked Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s school mask mandate. The state attorney general is appealing the decision.
But, in the meantime, that means some schools have gone mask-optional while others -- like DeKalb and Sycamore -- stick with mask and quarantine guidance.
Differing mask guidance among schools and even for activities and school meetings makes things complicated. Sycamore superintendent Steve Wilder said he understands it can be frustrating for parents -- it is for him too.
It fuels confusion, which, Wilder said, is why they need to be proactively communicating the rules to parents as they evolve.
“We know that, right now, there's a lot of people who want masks to go away,” he said. “But I continue to get emails and get phone calls from parents who are thankful because they have a student whose immune system is compromised or a staff member who has a family member whose immune system is compromised. So, there are still good reasons to have things in place.”
As mandates potentially fade, he said he understands why some in the community may be opposed to ending mandatory masking.
“It's like when you're given medication and prescription for an illness," he said. "After a couple of days, you feel better you quit taking it and then, you know, you're worried about it relapsing or something."
Wilder said he could see masks coming off by the end of the school year, but it’s hard to predict during the pandemic. Regardless, he hopes local districts get more decision-making power.
Deetra Sallis is the director of human resources for the DeKalb Public School District. She said, lately, they’ve seen fewer COVID-19 cases and quarantines in the district.
“It does look to be trending down,” she said. “We don't have as many cases positive cases that are happening that in turn has reduced the number of close contacts.”
Quarantines from the recent Omicron surge also made staffing harder than ever. She said the district has been providing KN95 masks to staff and students, and custom-fitted N95s to staff who want them.
A decision on the attorney general’s school mask mandate appeal could come this week. Illinois’ indoor mask mandate is set to end at the end of the month -- although that doesn’t include schools. Governor Pritzker said schools need “a little more time.”
