Some school parents, the Lincolnwood Teachers Association (a teacher’s union) and former school board candidates are questioning a change in Lincolnwood School District 74’s COVID-19 mitigation policies following a downstate judge’s ruling in a case that did not involve the district.
On Sunday night, District 74 Superintendent Kim Nasshan sent out a letter informing families that, in a shift from prior COVID-19 mitigation efforts, face masks would now be recommended, but not required, for students and staff at the district’s three schools.
District officials did not answer this newspaper’s questions asking how the district made its decision, and Superintendent Kim Nasshan and Board President Kevin Daly did not respond to requests for interviews.
District 74’s announcement followed the Feb. 4 issuance of a temporary restraining order from Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow in the Austin v. Pritzker case filed by downstate attorney Thomas DeVore against the school mask mandate ordered by the state in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.
District 74 was not one of the nearly 150 Illinois school districts named as a party to the DeVore litigation.
In the letter sent to parents Sunday evening, Nasshan wrote, “For now, we recommend that members of our school community continue to follow the established COVID-19 mitigation protocols already in place, even if not required, until there is a final resolution of these issues by the courts or a change in guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) or the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). We will encourage students and staff in our schools to wear face masks. We will also continue to request that individuals follow the exclusion protocols for positive and close contact cases.”
The situation has frustrated some parents, including Lidia Kaihara and Leah Brennan, who ran for the District 74 school board last year.
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“On some days, the teachers spend more time with the children than we do. So on Monday morning, you wake up and you find out the teachers are upset by the ruling– it upset me,” Kaihara said. “I consider the teachers to be part of the community and I don’t think it is right for them to be upset. They have stood alongside the board and the board should stand alongside them.”
Brennan wanted the board to call a special meeting.
“If they want to make a change, have it discussed publicly so that space can be made for the public, including the teachers, parents and students,” she said.
Lincolnwood Teachers’ Association Co-Presidents Stacy Panoutsos and Travis DuPriest issued a statement Monday questioning the administration’s decision, preferring the mask mandate remain in place and claiming the teachers were not consulted in the decision.
“The Illinois Federation of Teachers views this as an incorrect interpretation of the recent DeVore case ruling,” they wrote. “A mask requirement is the safest way to continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within our schools and the community. Additionally, the LTA was assured we would be included in any changes to the district’s mask policy, unfortunately we were excluded. Stress and confusion unfolded in today’s academic setting unnecessarily due to the lack of collaboration with teachers, staff and families.”
District 74’s move to a recommendation, but not requirement, differs from neighboring school districts including Niles Township High School District 219, Niles School District 71, Wilmette District 39, Golf School District 67, New Trier High School District 219, Maine Township High School District 207 and East Maine School District 63, which, like Lincolnwood were not named in the DeVore case.
District officials did not answer a reporter’s questions about who made the decision to no longer require masks, whether the school board met in emergency session to discuss the matter, whether a discussion occurred with the LTA before the announcement, and related questions.
Instead, the district issued two statements that did not answer those questions. A communications person relayed those statements Tuesday morning.
“Lincolnwood School District 74’s policies have always and will always reflect laws and court orders as they stand at that point in time,” Nasshan wrote. “As of today, with consultation from legal and according to the court order, wearing masks at school is a family choice. Our top priority remains educating children in a safe and welcoming environment.”
Later she added, “The district has always and will always abide by the law and court orders as they stand. With that being said, the mask enforcement automatically became a family decision. As a district, we will never ignore the law and work according to what we feel may be right or wrong. It is our duty and obligation to listen to the courts and respect a judge’s decision. If there are updates regarding the order, (school district) 74’s mask enforcement will reflect those updates. We will work with whatever the State of Illinois throws our way. As long as it stands, we will abide by it.”
According to the District 74 website, the next school board meeting is scheduled for March 3.