The following letter regarding a recent appellate court ruling was sent to the District 123 learning community on Feb 18, 2022 from Superintedent Paul Enderle.
School District 123 Families and Staff:
Throughout the pandemic we have committed to relevant and timely communication with our learning community regarding information about our health and safety plans. Late last night, a decision on the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) for COVID-19 mandates and Governor Pritzker’s Executive Orders was issued by the Fourth District Appellate Court.
With the appellate legal proceedings complete for the time being, and the steep decline of COVID-19 transmission and positivity rates within our community, District 123 will be making the following changes to the District 123 Pandemic Health and Safety Plan, effective Tuesday, February 22, 2022.
- 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.
We will continue to make decisions based on recommendations and guidance from our public health providers, which has served as a consistent factor in keeping District 123 children and staff safe throughout the pandemic. 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.
District 123 strongly recommends that all students, staff and school visitors wear a mask, in alignment with Illinois Department of Public Health guidance. The guidance continues to recommend a layered approach to mitigations, which will continue in District 123. District 123 will continue to adhere to mitigations including: heightened disinfection measures, regular hand washing, social distancing, cohorting, and screen testing. District 123 will also provide additional PPE, including KN95 and N95 masks, to students and staff upon request.
Finally, and most importantly, District 123 asks all families and staff to please respect one another’s mask choices and to treat each other with respect as we move forward with these adjustments to our approach to health and safety.
Sincerely,
Paul J. Enderle Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools