Illinois has about 850 districts Complaint filed . Pritzker issued an executive order Aug. 26requiring masks in Illinois schools for teachers, students, staff and visitors. Last Friday, the judge in Sangamon County ruled against Governor JB Pritzker's mask mandate inside school buildings, in response to lawsuits involving parents and teachers from more than 150 districts. "There is no rhyme or reason to have it, if people can have masks optional, that is the best decision for everyone," said Natalie Merchant, anti-mask parent. In some locales, there were protests at school board meetings. J.B. Pritzker, ISBE and 16 school districts in Lake and McHenry counties over the states school mask mandate and other COVID rules. J.B.. A Michigan judge on Friday dismissed a school district and its employees as defendants in two wrongful death lawsuits stemming from a deadly 2021 mass shooting by a 15-year-old student armed with a gun his parents had bought him for Christmas. In September, a judge there ordered a preliminary injunction in a case that has not gone to trial yet. DeVore told WCIA 3 Thursday that the case had nothing to do with why he filed in the county. Some are comfortable with the switch to a mask optional policy, while others are not. Meanwhile, Chicago Public Schools said it will continue to require masks, as will U-46 in Elgin. CCDPH Mitigation Order 2021-10 was issued on August 23, 2021 and requires individuals age 2 and older to wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status. "They read the result of JCAR's action as the end of those emergency rules," Craven said, "and if they are no more, the court doesn't need to decide if they were valid or not.". "What that says right thereis what I've been saying for months, that (Pritzker's) executive orders are just fearmongering," DeVore said. Between vitriol, tears and begging for mask choice, just a few parents and a teacher stepped up to back the board's decision to keep masks mandatory for now. A temporary restraining order issued Friday by Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow has reduced schools' ability to require masks and vaccinations. Cox said he didn't seeany problems in schools after the TRO basically made mask wearing unenforceable. It was a regular school day inside. After a downstate judge ruled against Pritzker's school mask mandate, suburban parents lashed out at school boards who chose to continue to require masks in schools. "I chose to head to the auditorium without my mask on and really didn't want to go home, I felt it was our right to stay here without our masks per the ruling on a Friday," said senior Sydney Pjesky. "Based on the wording of the temporary restraining order we believe we still have the authority to enforce mask wearing as part of our local mitigation efforts, and again, the local bargaining agreements that we have that compel us to provide a safe environment for our employees to work," U-46 Superintendent Tony Sanders said. The class action lawsuit against 140 school districts. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. Some Illinois parents are urging their kids to go to school without a mask today to protest Gov. JB Pritzker. Davidson said he believes he has the support of most of his school community. Illinois school districts will be deciding whether or not to make masks optional after a judge ruled against the state's mandate. says it does have that power under the Department of Public Health Act. J.B. Pritzker, State Superintendent of . Cary School District 26 has about 2,400 students. Students crave consistency, but Judge Grischows Feb. 4 decision to enter a TRO in the case sent schools into chaos," Griffin noted. District 202 made note of the fluid situation in its message. That bill, HB 2789, passed the Illinois House on party lines in April, but never received a vote on the Senate floor this spring before the legislature adjourned. CPS said in a statement last week that the court's ruling does not prohibit the school district from continuing its COVID-19 mitigation policies and procedures, including universal masking, and that the district "will stay the course.". The legislation remains the subject of advocacy and outrage in parent Facebook groups against masking in schools. The complaint, filed in local district court, alleges Pritzker overstepped his authority in signing an executive order last week mandating masks in all preschools, elementary and secondary schools in Illinois. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the . In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, p Their argument, in a nutshell, is if a school is going to order masks or remove a kid from school for not following COVID-19 policies, the district needs to get parental consent or a court order. McHenry County school districts named in the suit include Algonquin-based School District 300, Crystal Lake School District 47, Crystal Lake District 155, Cary School District 26, Huntley School District 158, McHenry School District 15 and Woodstock School District 200. First, that students and teachers cannot be required to wear masks while in school buildings or be excluded from school premises after close contact exposure to COVID-19, absent consent or a full evidentiary hearing and court order entered pursuant to the procedures contained in Section 2 of the Illinois Department of Public Health Act. READ: Judge Raylene Grischows full ruling here. The appellate court affirmatively stated that the language of the TRO in no way restrains school districts from acting independently from the executive orders or the IDPH in creating provisions addressing COVID-19.". CHICAGO (WLS) -- A downstate attorney is asking for a temporary restraining order against Chicago Public Schools over their continued requirement for face masks. The case is a culmination of several others filed statewide by Attorney Tom DeVore. Rockton School District says it's still subject to the Governor's mask mandate. in all settings, including education. It also says its unlawful to require masks as a type of treatment without parental consent or a quarantine order from the courts. Sangamon . And we will stand with our local unions to protect our members and the students they serve. The word school is only mentioned five times, but in conjunction with the states earthquake awareness program, as well as grants for safety and security improvements. The law constantly refers to coordination with smaller units of local government like municipalities and counties, but the definition of political subdivision within the statute doesnt include school districts. We insist that school districts statewide abide by existing agreements on health and safety. A spokeswoman for Gov. Pritzker said students and staff would no longer be required to wear masks at Illinois schools starting Feb. 28 after the Illinois Supreme Court declined to take up the case. The ruling comes after parents from those . J.B. Pritzker's administration are asking a state appellate court to set aside a lower court order from late Friday that invalidated the mask 2 in September. The restraining order, which went into effect Friday afternoon, voidedemergency rules from the Illinois Board of Education requiring regular testing or proof of vaccination from school staff. J.B. Pritzker's emergency rules for COVID-19 mitigations in schools "null and void," effectively stopping the state's mask mandate in school buildings. This time, parents sued the school districts, IDPH, ISBE and Gov. Schools without mask mandates face penalties from the state education board. | Provided Photo. The state's second largest school district will have an exemption for a handful of students whose parents were part of the lawsuit, but that's it. NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | Those who are exempt dont have to wear masks. JBPritzker, Illinois State Board of Education superintendent Carmen Ayala and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.A hearing before Seventh Circuit Judge April Troemper is set in Carlinville at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 5.The lawsuit questionedthe mask mandate and a schools ability to exclude students and deny in-person learning without a lawful order of quarantine from alocal health department.Pritzker issued an executive order on Aug. 26requiring masks in Illinois schools for teachers, students, staff and visitors. "Some people were saying like, 'Oh yeah this is so exciting finally!' So right now we're effectively in a holding pattern.". It's just a piece of paper.". As one of the districts named in the lawsuit that resulted in the temporary restraining order, administrators said removing the mask mandate for their schools was a legal decision. Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. San Diego County has low community levels for COVID-19. The lawsuit named at least 69 Chicago area school districts as defendants, including the Chicago Public Schools and districts from all regions of Chicago's suburbs. I think it's this document that has a list of the plaintiffs. J.B. Pritzkers emergency rules for COVID-19 mitigations in schools null and void, effectively stopping the states mask mandate in school buildings. Some districts are put in a different situation due to collective bargaining agreements. Crystal LakeElementary District 47issued a similar message explaining "face masks will be strongly recommended but not required at school and at all school-related events for staff and students, as well as visitors and volunteers.". School systems cannot require masks, but individuals may choose to wear masks. The court also disposed of Pritzker's contention that his executive orders, despite the JCAR ruling, were still in effect. 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SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WLS) -- An Illinois judge's ruling has forced many schools Monday to decide whether to continue with a mask mandate or to make them optional, and emotions across the state. The lawsuit was filed by Greenville attorney Thomas DeVore, who has filed a number of lawsuits around the state related to the governor's executive orders issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. HIRING! One of the cases DeVore is representing parents in actually sparked this newest lawsuit and the largest complaint filed yet. Robert Frost 8th grader Teresa Watson said she wants to see how the mask optional policy goes. 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Our children and their families need certainty and some normalcy at school, not legal wrangling managed by a small minority of citizens.We urge the judge to stay her ruling and the state to appeal it as soon as possible. JBPritzker,Illinois State Board of Education superintendent Carmen Ayala and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, as defendants.A hearing before Seventh Circuit Judge April Troemper is set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in Carlinville.COVID vaccine:Hundreds of Peoria teachers, staff havent taken COVID vaccine, district saysThe superintendent of District 122 in Metamora said they were aware of the lawsuit, but not in any official capacity.We have zero documentation other than what weve found online,, Illinois school mask mandate ruling forces districts to decide , Illinois school mask mandate ruling forces districts to decide whether or not to make masks optionalSCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WLS) An Illinois judges ruling has forced many schools Monday to decide whether to continue with a mask mandate or to make them optional, and emotions across the state are running high.Some school districts kept their mask rules in place, while others made them optional.But emotions boiled over a meeting in Naperville Monday night.Why are you continuing to enforce a mandate that is null and void? ranted one parent. Same goes for certain school staff who don't want to take weekly COVID-19 tests for not being vaccinated. It prioritizes a relatively small group of plaintiffs who refuse to follow widely-accepted science over the rights of other students, faculty and staff to enter schools without the fear of contracting a virus that has claimed the lives of more than 31,000 Illinois residents - or taking that virus home to their loved ones.