Metro East Sun

Triad Community Unit School District 2 has noted it may move to remote learning if a judge rules in favor of students who are seeking to lift the school system’s mask mandate.

The school district is one of 145 school systems being sued by students and parents seeking to unmask students.

The Madison County-based school district serves nearly 4,000 students.

Triad Community Unit School District #2 Superintendent Leigh Lewis noted the school district may move to remote learning if the court rules against continued masking.

“Depending on the transmission rate in our area at the time the decision of the court is released, if we cannot employ COVID mitigations, we may have to move to remote learning.  We will work to find other options before we make this decision, but we want you to know that it is a possibility,” Lewis said in an announcement.

Lewis noted in any case the school system will be pushing masks on its population.

“Even if the mask mandate is lifted for some or all students or staff, due to the current high transmission rates in our area, Triad will continue to strongly encourage our students, staff, and community to wear masks in schools and in many cases will make additional efforts to create more physical distance between students and staff members not wearing masks in order to prevent additional spread,” Lewis said.

Lewis’ comments come as the court is set to order.

The order may affect all school districts being challenged statewide.

“East St Louis area district @TriadNews seems to believe the judge will grant the mask/quarantine TRO in the DeVore case, which might apply to all students in the 145 districts represented. GOOD. BAD is any district who reacts by switching to remote learning,” a Twitter user under the alias Emma Woodhouse said.

Awake Illinois tweeted that closing schools in the wake of such an order would not make sense for the school community.

"Sup. Leigh Lewis 1.12.22 statement prepares for #devore TRO to be granted next week that would drop forced masking and quarantines. Despite data showing mask opt schools don’t spread cov, they are prepared to close schools…in 2022,” Awake Illinois posted on Twitter.

The attorney overseeing the challenges is Thomas DeVore. He is running for the Appellate Court of the 5th Appellate District.

A commentary on Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy web site by two University of Illinois at Chicago professors posted, “cloth masks and face coverings are likely to have limited impact on lowering COVID-19 transmission, because they have minimal ability to prevent the emission of small particles ... and offer limited personal protection with respect to small particle inhalation.”

The Illinois State Board of Education, under Gov. J.B. Pritzker's guidance, has suggested the state’s mask mandate will continue indefinitely.