O'FALLON, Illinois — One Metro-East school district voted Wednesday night to make masks optional, starting Thursday.
At O’Fallon Township High School District 203, whether or not to wear a mask was among the decisions students now have to make.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the mask mandate will come to an end at the end February. But there is some confusion about whether that applies to schools. Pritzker’s plan, however, states that mask requirements will continue where they are federally mandated, like at schools.
A 5 On Your Side reporter asked O’Fallon Township Superintendent Dr. Darcy Benway if the school board’s decision, Wednesday night, to make masks optional was an attempt to appease both camps on the masking issue.
“I would say that’s fair,” said Dr. Benway. “Again, there are many students that feel the need to mask. I feel the need to mask. There are also many students that are vaccinated and don’t feel the need to mask, so we try to meet the needs of all of our students.”
A reporter approached students off-campus, to get their reaction.
Junior Daniel Mortensen said, “A lot of kids don’t like it. There are a lot of terrified students. And then there are kids that want their masks off, like me. I miss seeing students’ faces. I hate identifying people by their forehead and their eyes.”
Senior Antonio Winters said, “It doesn’t really bother me. I still wear my mask. I mean, if you don’t want to wear your mask, you don’t have to wear your mask. It doesn’t really bother me.”
Senior DeAndre Lawrence said, “I feel like it’s just safer for me to wear my mask. I wouldn’t mind not wearing a mask, but I just feel like it’s safer for me to keep my mask on.”
Benway was asked how the new policy worked, in the classroom.
“I think it’s been pretty positive,” she said. “We still have about 75-percent of our students that are choosing to mask. And we’re thankful for that. We’re grateful for that. But, again, we are allowing students that freedom of choice.”
Meanwhile, school has been canceled on Friday in Bethalto, due in part to a planned anti-mask demonstration. Superintendent Dr. Jill Griffin sent out that communication Thursday. Classes will resume in Bethalto Monday, and masks will still be required. The Bethalto School Board is scheduled to meet, Monday night.