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 The clarified guidance reiterates advice from the U.S. Centers
for Disease Conrtrol and Prevention as well as the state for safely reopening
schools, but ultimately defers the adoption of prevention strategies to local
school boards. It also brings Illinois in line with neighboring Midwestern
states including Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa, which fully reopened without
renewing statewide in-school mask restrictions.
The clarification was prompted when political blogger Rich Miller of CapitolFax
contacted Pritzker’s office about the state’s newly adopted CDC guidance for
schools. Miller was given access to a communication the Illinois State Board of
Education shared with schools, which stated: “The Illinois Department of Public
Health has fully adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
updated guidance for schools released on July 9. View the guidance and the press
release.
“Q: Is masking required in schools?
“A: The CDC guidance that Illinois has fully adopted for all K-12 public and
nonpublic schools states: ‘Masks should be worn indoors by all individuals (age
2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated. Consistent and correct mask use by
people who are not fully vaccinated is especially important indoors and in
crowded settings, when physical distancing cannot be maintained.’
‘“The CDC continues to recommend masking and physical distancing as key
prevention strategies. However, if school administrators decide to remove any of
the prevention strategies for their school based on local conditions, they
should remove them one at a time and monitor closely (with adequate testing
through the school and/or community) for any increases in COVID-19 cases.
Schools should communicate their strategies and any changes in plans to
teachers, staff, and families, and directly to older students, using accessible
materials and communication channels, in a language and at a literacy level that
teachers, staff, students, and families understand.
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‘“Schools should work with local public health
officials to determine the prevention strategies needed in their
area by monitoring levels of community transmission (i.e., low,
moderate, substantial, or high) and local vaccine coverage, and use
of screening testing to detect cases in K-12 schools … A school in a
community with substantial or high transmission, with a low teacher,
staff, or student vaccination rate, and without a screening testing
program should continue to require masks for people who are not
fully vaccinated.’” The communication was released
in response to ambiguity in the initial announcement regarding the
updated guidance on July 9. The initial announcement prompted
questions from district administrators and parents as to whether
adopted guidelines meant COVID-19 precautions, such as masks for
unvaccinated students and staff, were recommended or required.
Retired school board member Steve Lucie, of Warsaw, Illinois, was
critical of Illinois’ top-down approach to COVID-19 school mandates.
He said his small school district was just not impacted like some
larger districts and decisions should have been made locally.
“The State Board of Education should not have their nose in school
operations on such a micro level. And for some reason they continue
to dictate specific operational procedures and spread fear,” Lucie
said.
He said children cannot receive Tylenol without parental permission,
yet parental choice and local control have been absent through the
pandemic.
 “At the end of the day, it is the people’s choice to do what they
believe is best for their local districts, and we’re not allowed to
do that.”
Pritzker’s spokeswoman said schools should follow CDC guidance, but
the recommendations issued July 9 were “not a mask mandate.” She
acknowledged elected school boards have the power to decide what is
best for their districts. |
