Dear District 30 Family,
We continue to be proud of all that we are accomplishing together. The unity of our community benefits our students. Our highest priority continues to be the health and safety of our students and staff. We are grateful to have been fully in person every day this year, able to run our schools as safely and with as much normalcy as possible.
By now, you have likely heard that late Friday afternoon a judge in downstate Sangamon County ruled on two lawsuits related to face mask-wearing, mandatory exclusion from school for close contacts, and mandatory weekly COVID testing for unvaccinated school personnel. The circuit court judge issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that shifts these required COVID-19 mitigation strategies to make them recommended.
District 30 was not named in either lawsuit, and the judge denied class-action certification. The ruling applies only to individuals within districts named in the lawsuits and is not a blanket change to state-mandated COVID-19 mitigations. District 30 will continue our current mitigation strategies universally recommended by the CDC, IDPH, ISBE, and CCDPH. These include universal masking, a minimum of five days of isolation for those who test positive for COVID-19, a minimum of five days of quarantine for unvaccinated individuals who experience close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual, and weekly testing for unvaccinated staff.
It is important to note that this is one circuit judge's ruling. Also, the judge did not rule on whether COVID mitigations promote health and safety. Her ruling is about how the strategies were created and applied to school districts. The Illinois Attorney General has filed appeals to both lawsuits, meaning these issues will not be resolved until the Appellate Court and/or Illinois Supreme Court rule on the cases.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our students, teachers, and staff. We will continue to monitor any changes in guidance from our public health agencies and the Illinois State Board of Education, and the outcome of the pending legal appeals. We will keep you informed and take appropriate actions as is necessary.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brian K. Wegley
Superintendent
