Sycamore school board fields parents’ concerns over mask-wearing for fall return to learn

SYCAMORE – School District 427 officials took input from parents Tuesday during the board meeting at Sycamore High School regarding their upcoming decisions on mask wearing and COVID-19 policy. Many parents who spoke Tuesday asked district officials to not require masks for students when school returns in the fall.

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Sycamore School District 427 Superintendent Steve Wilder listens to Lisa Feuerbach, who has children in the district, site statistics as she urges the board to not require students to wear masks when they return in the fall. A group of parents were in attendance Tuesday at the District 427 School Board meeting at Sycamore High School requesting that the board make mask wearing optional for students in the district. (Mark Busch/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance for kindergarten through 12th grade Friday, urging school officials monitoring local case numbers and working with local public health officials to determine the best course of action for their individual public health situations.

According to the CDC’s updated guidance, schools are urged to work with local public health agencies to determine appropriate prevention strategies considering area levels of low, moderate, substantial or high community transmission and local vaccine coverage.

“This CDC guidance is meant to supplement – not replace – any federal, state, local, territorial or tribal health and safety laws, rules and regulations with which schools must comply,” according to the CDC. “The adoption and implementation of this guidance should be done in collaboration with regulatory agencies and state, local, territorial and tribal public health departments, and in compliance with state and local policies and practices.”

The CDC still is recommending face masks and distancing of at least 3 feet between students as “key prevention strategies,” according to the updated guidance.

“However, if school administrators decide to remove any of the prevention strategies for their school based on local conditions, they should remove them one at a time and monitor closely – with adequate testing through the school and/or community – for any increases in COVID-19 cases,” according to the CDC. “Schools should communicate their strategies and any changes in plans to teachers, staff and families, and directly to older students, using accessible materials and communication channels in a language and at a literacy level that teachers, staff, students and families understand.”

See Thursday’s Daily Chronicle for full school board coverage.