Naperville District 203 to require masks regardless of vaccination status

The safe return to full-time in-person learning is central to a back-to-school plan adopted by Naperville Unit District 203.

That means, at least for now, face coverings will be required inside school facilities, Superintendent Dan Bridges said.

The mask mandate took effect Tuesday for all students, teachers, staff members and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. The decision is based on updated COVID-19 guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as recommendations from local and state public health agencies, Bridges said during a school board meeting Monday.

Classes resume Aug. 19, at which point students at all grade levels are set to return to a full schedule of in-person instruction.

"Our goals are to develop a plan that can be flexible and responsive to the changing conditions while ensuring secure learning and workspace conditions for our students and our staff," Bridges said.

The district's plan for the start of the 2021-22 school year - unanimously approved by the school board - includes a tiered structure for implementing COVID-19 mitigation strategies based on community spread. As of Monday, DuPage County had reached a "substantial" transmission level with more than 70 new cases per 100,000 people in the last week.

School board member Joseph Kozminski called the surge in cases "disheartening" but said he believes the district is responding appropriately.

"We really want to see that (substantial spread) come down, and vaccines are certainly the best way to do that," he said. "But masking is very important as well, so I think this is a prudent approach to start the school year."

In a recent call with area superintendents, Bridges said, DuPage County Health Department officials indicated universal masking should be enforced in schools "until all school-aged children are eligible for a vaccine and a majority are vaccinated against COVID-19." Children under the age of 12 are not yet approved for the shots.

District 203 is among a growing number of suburban schools planning to require face coverings when students and teachers return to the classroom this month.

Indian Prairie Unit District 204 previously announced masks would be optional for the 2021-22 school year, though administrators said COVID-19 metrics and guidance would be closely monitored. In a July 27 message, Superintendent Adrian Talley said those plans have not changed, but an update will be provided at Monday's board meeting "that reflects the most current information."

In District 203, mask mandates and prevention strategies could be reevaluated if transmission levels change, Bridges said. Other factors include vaccination rates, screening and positivity rates.

The back-to-school plan also outlines quarantine protocols for students and staff members if they encounter someone who tests positive for the virus. Much of the policy is based on vaccination status, social distancing and the correct use of masks.

A short-term alternate learning option involving asynchronous lessons will be available for students who aren't vaccinated and are under quarantine orders from public health officials, Bridges said.

Rules surrounding face coverings have deepened a divide between district families on either side of the issue, many of whom addressed the school board Monday.

Among the parents asking for a choice in the matter was Ann Marie Tracy, who expressed concerns about her 6-year-old son who has difficulty hearing. Masks have hindered his learning experience, she said, noting he relies on lip-reading and facial expressions to communicate with his teachers and classmates.

Naperville Central High School junior Addison George said she was vaccinated as soon as she was eligible to protect others and "be free from all the restrictions placed on me."

"Every single person can make their own decision about what risks they're willing to take," she said. "I should be allowed to do the same for myself."

Other parents and students, however, stressed the importance of wearing face coverings as cases rise.

As a local physician and the parent of an incoming second-grader, Shivani Desai urged community members to follow the recommendations of experts who have been fighting the COVID-19 virus. Wearing a mask at school, at least until a majority of students are eligible for and have gotten the vaccine, is a simple ask, she said.

"I'm looking at it as a scientist, but I have the heart of a mom," Desai said. "I really just want all the kids to be safe."