Masks Optional Tuesday At Dist. 122 And Dist. 123

OAK LAWN, IL — Oak Lawn’s elementary school districts, Ridgeland Dist. 122 and Oak Lawn-Hometown Dist. 123 – will become mask optional as of Tuesday, Feb. 22, the day after Presidents Day, following a middle-of-the-night appellate court ruling Friday making the school mandate “moot.”

The ruling comes on the heels of the state rules legislative committee allowed the Illinois Department of Public Health's emergency rule regarding masks in school to expire. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appealed the appellate court’s ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Community High School Dist, 218 announced Thursday that the district’s high schools – Richards, Shepard and Eisenhower, will be mask optional as of Feb. 22. An emergency board meeting has been called Friday afternoon by Oak Lawn Community High School Dist. 229.

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In an email to Dist. 122 staff and families, Supt. Joe Matise said the district it would remove safety mitigations with the flexibility to respond to local COVID-19 positivity rates in the district’s school buildings and local community, and return schools back to some semblance of normalcy.

“Parents, staff, and students should understand that the shift to the mask-recommended environment is not absolute,” Matise said. “Students and teachers who are more comfortable masking will be free to continue. Moreover, the District will monitor the positive cases within its building and may require masking in a certain school if positive cases rise.”

The district also asked that everyone in the Dist. 122 community respect one another’s mask choices. Parents will be responsible for having a conversation with their child to make a decision on their masking status. Teachers will not monitor students told to mask up by their parents, should a student remove his or her mask during class.

Also, bullying of classmates for their masking choices will not be tolerated. Students, with documented medical plans on file at their respective schools, will continue to be provided with appropriate PPE.

Masks are still required on school transportation in compliance with federal laws. In some cases, visitors to Dist. 122 schools may still be required to wear a mask. Dist 122 also noted its right to return to masking.

“Should cases rise and universal masking need to be reinstated to prevent further spread and school closure, parents will be notified. If there is a rapid rise in cases between reporting periods, the District may institute a return to masking after one school days’ notice to families.”

In a similar letter to parents shared on the Oak Lawn-Hometown Dist. 123 website from Supt. Paul Enderle, the district outlined changes to its pandemic safety plan as it prepares to go mask optional on Tuesday.

• District 123 will recommend, but not require, students and staff to wear a mask at school.
• Masks are still required on District transportation, per federal mandate.
• District 123 will not require “close contacts” to stay home from school. As always, individuals who are not feeling well are urged to stay home.
• District 123 will not require unvaccinated District staff to submit to weekly testing.

Enderle said the district still strongly recommends that all students, staff and school visitors wear a mask, in alignment with Illinois Department of Public Health guidance.

“Due to the uncertainty of the virus itself, along with the potential of future legal rulings, executive orders, or public health recommendations, School District 123 will retain the right to increase or decrease any layered mitigation strategy within our phased prevention model. This may include a required return to universal masking if necessary.”