Hampshire High School to go remote Friday over safety concerns

Hampshire High School students will participate in classes remotely Friday because of concerns for student and staff safety, a message from Community School District 300 officials said Thursday.

“This e-learning day is being implemented due to safety concerns and social media threats to disrupt the educational environment specific to the morning of Friday, February 11,” according to the message on the Algonquin-based Community School District 300’s website.

A spokesman for the school district did not return calls for comment Friday afternoon.

On Tuesday, about 200 parents and students gathered for a rally before a school board meeting to protest the district’s mask policy. Tuesday’s board meeting boiled over at points with parents yelling at board members and the board president accusing parents of showboating for the media.

One parent was escorted out of the meeting after yelling at the board president for those remarks. Another was asked to leave but refused and told the district’s resource officers they would have to arrest her.

Thursday’s decision to hold an e-learning day on Friday comes as rumors circulated of a student walkout at Hampshire High School on Friday.

The home boys basketball game against Jacobs High School will continue as scheduled as will any weekend athletics or activities, according to the message.

District 300 was one of two McHenry County school districts named in a lawsuit challenging the state’s mask mandate for schools that said they would continue to require masks except for the students named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The other six McHenry County districts named in the lawsuit opted to recommend but not require masks.

District 300 officials used an emergency day Monday to determine how to address the temporary restraining order. Students returned to school Tuesday with a mask mandate in full force for all except the students from District 300 named in the lawsuit.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20220210/hampshire-high-school-calls-for-e-learning-days-for-safety-concerns