Mokena SD159 Goes Mask Optional Following Court Ruling

Mokena IL

07 February, 2022

11:01 AM

Description

Editorial note: An earlier version of this article stated that Mokena School District 159 was not plaintiff in the lawsuit, when it was not a defendant. The article has been corrected to reflect that. MOKENA, IL — Mokena School District 159 notified parents Sunday that its schools would be mask optional starting Monday following a judge's ruling that voided mask mandates in schools. In an email to parents, Mokena SD159 Superintendent Mark Cohen wrote that the District continues to "highly recommend staff and students wear masks in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)." The District will continue contact tracing for COVID-19 positive students and staff, and will notify parents of any potential exposure, Cohen wrote. Quarantine for close contacts is "recommended but not required at this time," Cohen wrote. Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 will still be excluded from school. Masks will still be required on buses because that is a federal guideline, he wrote. Social distancing practices, handwashing/sanitizing and cleaning protocols for the District will remain in place, as well. Related: Judge Blocks School Mask Mandate, Voids COVID-19 Emergency OrdersLincoln-Way D210 Goes Mask Optional Following Court Ruling Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow ruled Friday that the Pritzker administration had, with emergency orders the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health issued on Sept. 17, 2021, improperly delegated authority that state lawmakers had granted to public health officials. Grischow's ruling is a temporary restraining order against those mandates. Mokena SD159 was not one of about 150 other defendants in that case. Although her ruling only directly applies to those plaintiffs named in the case, Grischow noted that "Any non-named Plaintiffs and School Districts throughout this State may govern themselves accordingly," leaving the door open for all school districts to enact similar policies, including Mokena SD159. Also as part of her ruling, Grischow said unvaccinated school staff who do not want to be required to be vaccinated or take weekly COVID-19 tests must be afforded due process. It is unclear what, if any, impact that part of the ruling will have on Mokena SD159. Patch has reached out to the District for clarification, but has not yet received a response. In his email to parents, Cohen urged parents to keep sick children home. "The safety of our staff and students is still paramount, and with everyone doing their part we believe we can implement these changes and maintain a safe learning environment for everyone," he wrote. Cohen also called on parents to have conversations with their children about "the importance of respecting the personal choice of each member of our school community." "While we may have different perspectives and beliefs about pandemic mitigations," Cohen wrote, "we must be gracious and kind to one another."