Days before there would be a statewide lifting of the mandating requiring students to wear masks in school buildings, the New Trier Township High School District 203 school board approved at its Feb. 22 meeting shifting away from the longstanding requirement anyway, with the district’s new policy going into effect the day after the meeting.
“I am not saying the pandemic is over, it’s not,” Superintendent Paul Sally said at the board meeting. “But I am saying this is another point within the pandemic where we can shift our practices and approach.”
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During his presentation to the school board, Sally stated approximately 92% of students and 96% of staff have been vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, the New Trier COVID-19 dashboard indicated there were 371 cases shortly after the first of the year, but the number dropped dramatically to single digits since mid-February.
Jean Hahn joined with the rest of the school board members supporting the switch.
“Lifting the mask mandate is not an indication that I believe the pandemic is over and we can simply ignore COVID,” Hahn said. “This is not a mission accomplished moment by any sense. Rather this decision is an acknowledgement that current circumstances warrant a modification of our response to COVID from a collective approach to a more individualized approach.”
School officials requested that COVID-19 cases be reported to New Trier’s Health Services Department, and students who test positive for the disease may return to school after five days of isolation – but a mask will be required on days 6 to 10 following the positive test.
Anyone sick is asked to stay home until feeling better.
Sally did not rule out a future change in policy if conditions warrant.
“We will continue to monitor our metrics very closely,” he said.
In combination with the shift to a mask-optional policy, the administration called for both students and adults to respect individual choices, whether someone wants to wear a mask or not.
“This is an opportunity for each of us as parents to set an example for our children to practice empathy and embrace grace,” board member Brad McLane said.
The feeder elementary school districts into New Trier, including Wilmette Public Schools District 39, Winnetka School District 36, Glencoe School District 35 and Wilmette-based Avoca School District 37 have also moved to mask-optional in recent days.
Changes were also made to mask-wearing on school buses, with the requirement dropped by the federal government following an announcement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC stated that masks will no longer be necessary on school buses, so local school districts have adjusted to a mask-optional policy for the students who ride buses.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer.