After a five-hour meeting Wednesday night that included dozens of comments from members of the public, the Barrington Area Unit District 220 board did not reach a consensus on a mask policy for the upcoming school year.
A crowded and five-hour Barrington Area Unit District 220 board meeting ended late Wednesday night with members unable to settle on a final policy for masks when students return to class next month.
Because the session was a special meeting, the board members could not vote on a policy had they agreed. That vote could come when the board meets again Aug. 10 — 10 days before the first day of school.
“Well, I’m disappointed,” board member Angela Wilcox said. “I was really hoping that we could come to some sort of situation to move forward. I think that we’ve seen is wishy-washy, and I know you’re saying that you’re looking for more information, but it doesn’t feel like being leaders. It seems like kicking the can.”
The board agreed earlier this month to make face masks optional in grades 6-12 and develop a plan to phase out an indoor mask requirement for students and staff in prekindergarten through fifth grade.
Superintendent Robert Hunt presented a proposal Wednesday that would make masks recommended, but not required, for the older students and implement phased approach for earlier grades. That approach would see students wearing masks when a social distance of three feet cannot be maintained.The district would then monitor local COVID-19 case data and make decisions based an that information.
Other proposed mitigation strategies include designated entrances, the use of hand sanitizer, three-foot social distancing and limited visitors in buildings. High-touch surfaces will be cleaned daily, and physical education will take place outdoors as much as possible.
Read the Daily Herald story here.