Since Illinois’ mask mandate was struck down in court Friday, Warren Township High School District 121 has become home to just one of many school board meetings that became a battleground for parents and students on both sides of the issue of whether to allow students to have the option of wearing a mask or not.
In response to the court case, District 121 Superintendent John Ahlgrim sent out a letter to parents saying the results of the case only applied to the schools involved in the mask lawsuit, which Warren Township High School was not. His letter pointed out the court battle is far from over.
“Because of this uncertainty and the significant confusion reflected in various reports regarding the temporary restraining order, we want to let the community know our clear expectations for the foreseeable future,” Ahlgrim said in the letter. “WTHS will continue to follow and implement its safe return to school plan. Aside from the parties to the lawsuit, we will continue to enforce requirements relating to masks and school exclusion for close contacts.”
The letter went on to say that students continue to be subject to a federal order requiring masks to be worn on school buses.
District 121’s board meeting Tuesday was dominated by public comment from parents and students, all of whom were asking the board to remove its mask mandate.
According to a district statement released Jan. 11 that outlines the district’s return to school policy, masks are required for all individuals in the schools during the school day, “except for specific purposes where removal of the mask is necessary (such as eating lunch).”
Nearly 45 minutes into the meeting, all of the attendees who had signed up to speak had spoken, and Ahlgrim responded to the speakers’ concerns and criticisms.
“All of this has been hard years on our students, and we’ve all felt them,” Ahlgrim said. “When we get legal cases, we count on the advice of our legal counsel. All of the information that we got was very clear direction from our legal counsel regarding the case. That’s why we sent out the communication on Sunday that we did.”
Ahlgrim said that the legal counsel directed the district to continue following the policies that it has had in place all school year, because the ruling only applied to schools that were involved in the lawsuit.
From there, the board attempted to move on with their scheduled agenda for the night, but were interrupted by yells and taunts from some of the meeting’s attendees. Ahlgrim spoke to members of the board and the district’s administration, and the board members hurriedly continued through the rest of their agenda, skipping a scheduled president’s report, as well as three presentations from members of the district’s business, fine arts and athletics and activities departments.
The board also hurried through its consent agenda and new business, rarely commenting on any of the items. When it arrived at a regularly scheduled agenda item — for example, an update on the district’s return to school that’s given at every meeting since students resumed attending in-person classes — Ahlgrim said, “I think we’ve covered those points in regards to where we’re at.”
Before the meeting adjourned, board President Paul Schulz thanked students for attending the meeting and speaking their mind.
“To every student that spoke tonight, my hat is off to you,” he said. “When I was your age, I don’t think I would have been strong enough to do that, so I applaud you.”
He also responded to some of the criticism that the board isn’t impacted by the decision, and that members don’t understand what it’s like for students. Schulz said that he, as well as many members of the board, are parents of students in the district, and all are community members.
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“I’m looking around and we are parents,” he said. “We do see things the same way that you do. We just happen to be on the board. We’re living with the same things you are. It doesn’t mean we like them, but we’re living with them just as you are.”
He also addressed a meeting attendee, saying that the members of the board “need to be leaders” rather than followers.
“I’d say we are being leaders right now,” Schulz said. “We’re not afraid to step up. Sometimes being a leader is doing what we think is the best for the school, not what the loudest voice in the crowd says, but we think is best. Sometimes being a leader is making an unpopular decision.”