Grayslake Central, North students may forgo masks starting Thursday

Students at Grayslake Central and North high schools will have the option to not wear masks in school starting Thursday, school officials said.

The decision comes a day after Grayslake Community High School District 127 switched to remote learning for Wednesday's classes because of concerns over a planned protest by students and community members opposed to mandatory masking.

"At no time did we ever think students would do something wrong," Superintendent Mikkel Storaasli said. "We just wanted to have a safe environment for the protest, given how volatile things could be."

By going to remote learning Wednesday, district officials had time to meet and determine what the policy would be moving forward, Storaasli said.

"We are starting tomorrow back in person and we hope we are in person for the entire year," he added.

Storaasli said no decisions have been made on whether staff and teachers can switch to a mask-optional policy.