After using Monday as an “Adaptive Pause Remote Learning Day” following the Sangamon County Circuit Court ruling concerning mask mandates for students and COVID immunization mandates for school staff, Danville District 118 has decided to return to in-person learning on Tuesday, February 8th.
In addition, District 118 has stated in a letter from Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis that the district’s “various legal counsels have determined that because District 118 is NOT part of the Sangamon County lawsuit, this (court) order has no impact on our District’s COVID-19 mitigation measures.”
Geddis’ letter continued to say that “therefore, we will continue to enforce the mask mandate and COVID19 mitigation protocols currently in place.
There are no changes to our policies at this time.”
THE ENTIRE LETTER FROM DR. GEDDIS IS BELOW:
February 7, 2022
Good Afternoon, District 118 Parents and Guardians:
Tomorrow, February 8, 2022, we will return to in-person learning and a regular school day.
We are aware of the debate surrounding both the order, and the footnotes for the Sangamon
County Case released Friday night that affected approximately 150 of Illinois’ 840 school
districts. I appreciate your patience as districts were given information on how this ruling
affects us by our various legal counsels yesterday afternoon. Based on that information, we
now know because District 118 is NOT part of the Sangamon County lawsuit, this order has no
impact on our District’s COVID-19 mitigation measures. We will continue to enforce
the mask mandate and COVID19 mitigation protocols currently in place.
There are no changes to our policies at this time.
This matter continues to go through the judicial process. We expect an Appellate Court
decision will likely be given to us within the next 1-2 weeks. If we are then directed by the
courts to implement a mask-optional learning environment, more communication will be
forthcoming. In the interim, please consider filling out this short survey if you are a
parent/guardian with concerns about health issues in a mask-optional environment.
Survey Link: https://forms.gle/bSSJrjTxMdnG77xb6
We will use the survey data for future planning if the situation arises.
Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation as we navigate these sudden
changes to our educational environment.
Sincerely,
Dr. Alicia Geddis
Superintendent
