Bethalto’s Board of Education unanimously voted to make masks optional for students and staff on Monday.
During the special board meeting, those in attendance listened silently and respectfully as parents, students, grandparents and community members voiced their concerns over mask mandates and urged board members to make masks optional.
Bethalto Superintendent Jill Griffin said she decided to maintain mask mandates for an additional week after Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow granted a temporary restraining order on masking in schools in order to work through the process of ensuring the safety of immune-compromised students and staff members.
“Based on the work that we did last week, it is my recommendation to the Board of Education that we go masks-optional starting tomorrow with the exception of school buses, where they remain required,” she said.
She added that during that process, Gov. J.B. Pritzker released his plan to lift mask measures.
“Then, the governor came out on Wednesday saying he plans to lift the mask mandate everywhere but schools and nursing homes now,” she said. “I don’t understand his recommendation and why schools would continue to mask when literally everywhere else, we are not required to mask.”
Sophomore Kaitlynn Niemeyer addressed the school board before the vote, urging them to remove mask mandates. After the vote, she said she feels honored to be a part of the district and is ready to get back to normal.
"I'm excited to just get back to a normal school year," she said. "I haven't had a normal school year in over 700 days, so we are all very very excited to get the high school experience and watch all of our littles get to really experience school. Actually, all the way up to second graders have never had a normal school year."
Griffin said she began the process of considering making masks optional by polling staff members and district families. Nearly ⅔ of staff members said they were comfortable or neutral on the issue of making masks optional while approximately ¾ of the Bethalto families said they were comfortable.
Griffin said it was important to take steps to make sure staff members are as comfortable as possible because districts across the country are facing a staff shortage, “which puts us in a significant bind.”
After meeting with unions, Griffin met with immune-compromised staff members individually to determine what mitigation measures could be put in place to ensure they are able to continue teaching in person. She said she then met with immune-compromised district families to give them a heads up that masks may become optional and allow them time to determine how they would like to proceed.
“See, I am charged with caring for the safety of the welfare of all stakeholders, and I know the personal circumstances and situations many of our staff members are facing,” she said. “And I wanted them to have an opportunity to process through this possible transition while contacting their doctors, oncologists, and determining what the best course of action was for them individually.”
She added that the delay in addressing the masking issue gave the district time to purchase air purifiers and other mitigation measures, allowing them to be more prepared for vulnerable students and staff.
After hearing from members of the public, the board unanimously agreed to make masks optional beginning Feb. 15.
Board members include President Todd Meiser, Vice-President Kory Stassi, Secretary Tad Middleton, and members Jeff Whaley, Tom Beiermann and Don Woelfel.
Following the vote, Griffin sent students’ families an email informing them of the decision.
“It was our hope that our families would understand that the goal of the Board was to find a path to allow for parents to choose what was best for their child in regards to the topic of masks, while we worked through the impact to our stakeholders,” she wrote. “We appreciate the patience of so many of you as we continue to work through this challenging issue.”
Griffin also addressed the “divisiveness” that the mask debate has brought to the community.
“When our students and staff return to school tomorrow in a masks-optional environment, we want to remind everyone that all students and staff are entitled to a safe, supportive, and encouraging learning environment,” she wrote. “In order to achieve this expectation, we remind everyone to respect one another, regardless of individual differences and decisions. Please have these conversations with your children so they understand that regardless of personal opinions, we need to ensure we are treating each other the way each person would like to be treated. I encourage everyone to work to be tolerant of each other and empathetic to others’ choices. We know here in EagleNation we come together, despite our differences, let’s do that now and bring the divisiveness to an end.”
Division between community members was on display after Griffin canceled school on Feb. 11 after what she called “a very difficult and disruptive week,” in order to prepare for the board meeting.
Also on Feb. 11, several parents planned an “Unmask our kids rally,” early in the morning. The rally was planned before parents learned that school was being canceled. During the rally, participants held signs at the corner of Old Bethalto Rd. and W. 2nd St. as early as 6:45 a.m. in a peaceful protest against continued mask mandates. The protest was set to end before school began so students could attend before school began at 8:30 a.m. if they wanted to. The rally was still held despite school cancellations.
“These kids are true patriots for standing up for their liberty while being excluded from their classrooms and friends,” an event flier stated. “High school students are being threatened that if they don’t mask up and go back to class, they will not be able to participate in sports/dance teams. This needs to stop now.”
Participants were encouraged to bring signs and flags.
“This is peaceful so no need for chanting or shouting, just hold the signs and stand in solidarity,” the flier stated.
Those in opposition to the rally took to social media to voice their frustrations, calling the protest a “tantrum.”