The Illinois State Board of Education restored a suburban private school’s state recognition Friday, after school officials agreed to fully comply with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s school mask mandate when students arrive on campus this month.
Timothy Christian Schools in Elmhurst was alerted by ISBE earlier this week that the school’s status as a recognized nonpublic school was being immediately revoked because Superintendent Matt Davidson had declined to confirm the school would comply with the state’s universal masking requirement.
On Friday, a spokeswoman for ISBE said the state board would reinstate Timothy Christian as “recognized,” because “the school has changed its position and newly updated its health plan to require universal indoor masking.”
“We intend to reinstate its recognition,” ISBE spokeswoman Jackie Matthews said in a statement. “However, any future verified reports of noncompliance will result in immediate revocation of recognition status.”
ISBE Superintendent Carmen Ayala said in a Wednesday letter to the private school that as a result of being nonrecognized, K-12 students at Timothy Christian would be ineligible to participate in Illinois High School Association and Illinois Elementary School Association sanctioned sports, and graduating seniors would receive a diploma that is not recognized by the state board.
[Don't miss] Dozens of Chicago bars and restaurants are only admitting vaccinated customers. How’s that going? And could the city mandate it as COVID-19 cases climb again? ？
Once the school is recognized, those sanctions are lifted. A spokeswoman for Timothy Christian said the school received its official recognition letter Friday afternoon.
The state board also recently mailed warning letters to the superintendents of seven public, community unit school districts in Illinois — Red Bud CUSD 132, Carlyle CUSD 1, Benton CCSD 47, Durand CUSD 322, Patoka CUSD 100, Warsaw CUSD 316 and Spoon River Valley CUSD 4 — reducing their recognition status to “on probation,” Matthews said.
“ISBE reached out to each district after receiving complaints from parents and educators, and the superintendent for each district confirmed that the district is not complying with the universal indoor masking requirement,” she said.
In an Aug. 12 parent letter, Carlyle District 1 Superintendent Annie Gray said the school board upheld a return to school plan in which those who are vaccinated do not need to wear masks except on school buses, where everyone is required to wear one.
“Mask use is recommended, even encouraged, but not required for students and staff who are not fully vaccinated,” Gray wrote, adding: “Staff and students will be supportive based on personal choice.”
[Don't miss] Review: New McDonald’s Saweetie Meal is a sticky, sweet and complicated process ？
Gray said “the mask requirement may be re-implemented at a later date, based on local data.”
Matthews said the state board is reaching out to each district to “schedule a conference to discuss compliance,” and the school districts will be required to submit a corrective plan to the regional superintendent of schools and Ayala within 60 days, she said.
Matthews said Timothy Christian was not allowed a similar probationary period before its recognition was revoked because “there is a different recognition process in statute for nonpublic schools than for public schools.”
Pritzker has warned that schools that ignore mask rules put themselves at risk of lawsuits and could face potential sanctions from the state.
If the seven public school districts on probation fail to submit a corrective action plan, the state “may act to reduce the district’s status to nonrecognized,” Matthews said.
[Don't miss] Bourbon County 2021: Goose Island intrigues with lineup of beer aged in Old Forester 150th Anniversary barrels, cola-flavored stouts ？
“We will continue to act swiftly with both nonpublic and public schools that have confirmed they are not implementing universal indoor masking as required by (the executive order),” Matthews said.
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta
Illinois board of ed restores state recognition for suburban private school after it agrees to comply with mask mandate
6m
Suburban high school freshman suspended after refusing to wear a mask: ‘She knows she has the right to make decisions about her own body’
1h
Breaking Sports Ben Zobrist drops his $6 million lawsuit against the pastor who is having an extramarital affair with the former Chicago Cubs player’s estranged wife
Aug 12, 2021
Chicago White Sox Column: MLB will never be able to top the inaugural Field of Dreams game after the Chicago White Sox’s walk-off win — so try something new in 2022
10:50 AM
Dining Dozens of Chicago bars and restaurants are only admitting vaccinated customers. How’s that going? And could the city mandate it as COVID-19 cases climb again?
5:00 AM