This Elmhurst School Going Mask Optional

ELMHURST, IL — Timothy Christian Schools in Elmhurst announced Wednesday that it is going mask optional for the new school year, despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker's mask mandate for all schools. The school's leader said the decision was not "an act of defiance."

In a seven-minute video, Superintendent Matt Davidson said he and the private school's board made the decision after much thought. He said the mask-optional plan has worked throughout the last couple of months for summer school and camps. At times, he spoke personally about pandemic issues and how they have affected him.

"After several nights to sleep on it and a productive exchange of ideas and plenty of prayer, the board and I have taken the necessary time to respond rather than react to the press conference by the governor last Wednesday," he said. "This isn't an act of defiance. We aren't puffing our chest out. We're simply going to explore this further for the next few weeks, maybe longer."

Davidson said he and the board would "turn over every stone" on the mask issue.

"But ultimately, we are going to reach a conclusion on the legality of the announcement from the governor, especially as a private, faith-based religious educational institution," he said.

Davidson said he would not support defiance of a rule that the school found to be valid and upheld as legal.

"But in the meantime, we are curious enough to find out," he said.

He said Pritzker was in a bad spot on the mask issue and others.

"Our motivation is not anger. It's not spite. My goodness, it's certainly not political," he said. "As a matter of fact, let me briefly say something about our governor and hear me out. I may not agree with him on this issue, and we'll find out if we have to comply, but my genuine sense is that I would enjoy having lunch with him or hanging out on Lake Michigan with him for an afternoon or discussing issues. I would love to pick his brain on business principles.

"He's the governor. He's also a husband, he's a father. He's trying to do his best, like we all are in this strange world we live in," he said. "We can still disagree in America, and we should, but let's guard our heart against the duo of hatred and rage. They are bad associates."

He noted Timothy was one of the few schools in the Chicago area that stayed fully in person last year, prompting doubters to second-guess and criticize the school every step of the way.

"Folks, if we can't stay together through this, then I am willing to concede at the end of the school year, I'm not the right person to lead our school — and, yeah, I know I just got some of your hopes up. But I have faith in the Timothy community," said Davidson, who started as superintendent in 2010. "I have made and lost many false friends in the last 19 months, people who oblige me as long as I'm on their side with this issue."

He said one of his genuine friends is a Timothy parent named Reggie. He said Reggie planned to have his children wear masks in school.

"If you ever try to give (Reggie's) amazing kids or any Timothy kids a hard time about wearing masks to school, you'll have to go through Reggie and me," Davidson said.

He said the same was true for critics of maskless students.

In late July, the Elmhurst School District 205 board decided to make masks optional for the new school year. A week later, the governor issued his order, with District 205's superintendent acknowledging it in a public statement.

Timothy Christian Schools is a nondenominational Christian school. It was founded in Elmhurst in 1911. According to its website, it has more than 1,200 students.