On February 4, 2022, a court ruled against Governor Pritzker's executive order requiring masks in schools. We expect Dist 161 to follow the temporary restraining order that resulted from that case. Making masks optional for staff, students, and visitors. The ruling also removes the quarantine requirement for close contact individuals. It must be noted that school boards have no authority to enforce mitigations and suspend our children's due process rights by a show of hands. Children have been subject to the illegal actions of ISBE, IDPH, and this school board for the past two years. It is past time for this board to respect every child's right to due process before masking, exclusion, and testing can be required. It was made clear that the mandates by the governor and these agencies were deemed unlawful for the named students in the Sangamon County lawsuit. By design, if they are unlawful for named students, they are unlawful for all students. 

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - Ronald Reagan