Rally to support Parkview Christian planned on Kendall County Courthouse steps Wednesday

Supporters of Parkview Christian Academy’s temporary restraining order against the Illinois State Board of Education are invited to attend a rally in support of the school.

Parkview Christian, a K-12 school that operates two campuses in Yorkville, previously announced its intent to hold its school year without acknowledging the statewide mask mandate in a letter sent to ISBE on Aug. 23. Gov. JB Pritzker in early August declared a mask mandate, requiring all students and staff in public and private schools to wear masks while inside, regardless of vaccination status.

The ISBE responded by revoking Parkview Christian’s recognition Aug. 24. Consequences for the removal of the school’s recognition include eliminating the school’s ability to participate in Illinois High School Association and Illinois Elementary School Association sanctioned sports, blocking its participation in the Invest in Kids Act tax scholarship program, and ISBE will not recognize diplomas for graduating seniors.

The rally will begin at 2 p.m., Sept. 29, on the steps of the Kendall County Courthouse, as oral arguments in the school’s case are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Following a court appearance Thursday, Board of Education President Jed Davis explained the school’s point in filing a TRO.

“Our case has nothing to do with masks,” Davis said. “We don’t even reference, really, the mandate or make the argument that ‘Hey, we should be mask optional’ in our suit. It is all about the process that ISBE used to revoke our recognition.”

Parkview Christian will meet with ISBE in December, to officially appeal the decision to revoke the school’s recognition. If the school’s temporary restraining order is granted Wednesday, then the ramifications of Parkview’s loss of recognition will be halted, pending the outcome of the December hearing.