64 Percent Of D127 Students, Staff Are Vaccinated

GRAYSLAKE, IL — District 127 officials announced in recent weeks that masks will not be mandated at Grayslake South and North high schools this school year.

But following the latest guidance from public health officials calling on universal masking in schools, and as COVID-19 and the delta variant is spreading rapidly, school officials are "absolutely keeping a very close eye on all the updated guidance, and the daily health numbers," Superintendent Mikkel Storaasli told Patch in an email response.

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Any changes in its current plan, and masking rules, are expected to be announced in the next week, Storaasli said.

Under the current plan, school officials are "strongly encouraging" masking for all but not mandating it.

"We want our educators to concentrate on teaching, learning, and building relationships with students, not policing mask-wearing," Storaasli said in a July 23 letter to parents. Days later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health updated its guidance regarding masking, recommending universal masking indoors.

Prior to that, masking was encouraged for all, particularly unvaccinated students and staff. Currently, 64 percent of all staff and students in D127 buildings are vaccinated, according to D127 data.

Under the current guidance, masks must be worn on school buses and may be required in certain situations. For that reason, students are being asked to have a mask with them every day.

"While there is no mandate at this time, there may be situations where wearing a mask, temporarily, will create a more comfortable environment for a fellow student or staff member," according to Storaasli's letter. "For example, a teacher may request a student wear one for one-to-one meetings or a classmate may have a specific health concern."

District 127 will offer weekly optional saliva-based screening testing through SHIELD Illinois. Students and staff will have multiple opportunities each week to take a COVID PCR test and receive results within 24 hours, and there will also be on-site testing for symptomatic individuals.

"....we will continue to monitor the health situation in the community and within our school walls. Based on the health metrics, if we can remove further mitigations during the school year, we will do so," Storaasli said. "If we need to reinstate prevention strategies such as additional masking requirements, we will do that as well."