North Cook News

Township High School District 211 parents are pushing for their kids to have the right not to wear masks if they choose to when the school year resumes next fall.

"Forcing our District 211 children to wear masks all day puts their health in jeopardy," one parent charged at a recent school board meeting, where another warned board members "many parents are already researching and hiring legal counsel should you continue to intimidate and try to force masks."

With the school year set to resume along with the return to in-person learning across the state in just weeks, the mask mandate debate is quickly picking up steam across Illinois.

While the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education currently mandate that students wear masks, not all District 211 parents are convinced the practice is what’s best for their children

"Emotionally it makes things harder for them," said parent Kim Pinkerman. Still others see them as divisive and distracting.

"Masks must be optional for our kids without discrimination," added parent Kristen Steel.

In a statement, District 211 school officials insisted while they value the concerns of community residents they would be continuing to adhere to the guidelines and recommendations of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Cook County Department of Public Health and the Illinois High School Association.

"I think it's really premature to go unmasking children, especially if they haven't been vaccinated," said Dr. Richard Novak, chief of Infectious Diseases at University of Illinois-Chicago. "If they're unvaccinated, they're susceptible, they will bring – they'll catch whatever viruses are prevalent at the time."