At the often intense Barrington School District 220 school board meeting July 13, 2021, district parents and other stakeholders showed their support for the district not mandating students wear masks in school. (H. Rick Bamman / Pioneer Press)
The Barrington School District 220 board announced Tuesday night that the district will not require students in grades 6 through 12 to wear masks when they return to school next month for the new academic year, and will further discuss a phased-in approach to eliminate face covering requirements for students in pre-K to fifth grade.
Board members also agreed the district would not require masks to be worn outdoors for any students. Masks, considered personal protective equipment, were previously mandated by federal and state public health officials in all public places as a result of the novel coronavirus – and it’s COVID-19 disease – pandemic.
“I believe it’s time to return risk management back to parents,” recently-elected school board member Katie Karam said at the meeting Tuesday night. She started the discussion and was cheered by the audience.
The almost four-hour board meeting Tuesday saw more than 100 people in the audience, some often shouting at board members and demanding that no masks be required of students for the new school year. A few young school children held up “Follow the science: Unmask the kids” signs from Unmaskthekidsillinois.org, a grassroots organization started in Winnetka whose supporters are collectively “concerned with how local mask mandates were adversely affecting their young children,” according to its website.
Some SD220 parents who spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting shared data they said demonstrates that younger children are not at risk of catching COVID-19.
“We’re here today to end mask mandates for the upcoming school year and make sure that unvaccinated adults and children are not discriminated against in our district,” said Danny Olsen, who has three children enrolled in district schools and was among more than 30 who spoke during the meeting.
Read the full Barrington Courier-Review take on Tuesday’s meeting here.
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