During a 7 AM special Tuesday morning meeting, the Danville School District 118 Board has voted unanimously to drop the mask mandates for students and staff, although it will still apply to school busses.
A near capacity crowd made it through a rainy Tuesday morning to attend the special District 118 Board 7 AM meeting for the mask mandate vote.
The vote on dropping both mandates was 6-0. Board member Darlene Halloran, who had made the motion last week to table the vote until more was known about Governor Pritzker’s appeal of a Sangamon County Circuit Court ruling (the Appellate Court decided not to hear the appeal), was not in attendance. A letter from her read by board president Dr. Randall Ashton stated that she was attending a long ago planned relative’s birthday party. But Halloran also stated that the anger and negative banter of late was “not the Danville that she knows.”
Numerous Board members, including Dr. Ashton, Johnnie Carey, and Pastor Thomas Miller (who gave a very emotional statement about nearly losing his life to COVID) stated hope that the community can move on from the divisions this issue has caused.
(LEFT) A District 118 staffer assists a Danville Police Officer in pointing out an attendee from Tuesday morning’s special meeting who was removed for allegedly making a threat towards Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis. (RIGHT) School Board member Pastor Thomas Miller delivers an emotional statement on his experience with COVID.
Board member Shannon Schroeder, who first made the motion for a vote on this last Wednesday, said she’s glad this is done, and let’s work on reuniting the community.
AUDIO: (I’m) really glad about the actions of the board today, and I’m glad that we are walking in a place of unity. We’re going to be able to move forward and people are going to be able to have their choice. We did say “recommended,” so everyone should be respected for what they are doing; those who wear them, and those who choose to not wear them.
Board member Johnnie Carey told the parents in the crowd, and repeated afterwards, that she’d like to see them at future meetings with just as much passion when it comes to curriculum and education issues.
AUDIO: We’re talking about all children. It’s doesn’t matter the color of the child or the staff. So I’m hoping that they will consider that and they will come back to the meetings and have comments. Positive comments, not negative comments. That’s all we ask.
One person in attendance, Justin Ray, said he was happy with the School Board’s action, but not with what happened during the public comment portion, which five people participated in. That’s where things briefly got heated with numerous people speaking various accusations out loud. During that, it was Ray who called out a request for everyone to calm down.
AUDIO: I want to reiterate Dr. Ashton’s statements about making sure that we’re kind to the other people who choose to wear a mask and/or choose not to wear a mask. Both directions need to be kind to each other and understand where everybody’s coming from. As far as some of the outbursts in the room today, I’m a little let down by the adults from that perspective. We all kind of agreed that we were coming here to represent our children, out of respect and dignity of them, because they can’t speak for themselves. That’s not it. That’s just not it. That’s not how we should’ve behaved.
One person was removed from the meeting, without major incident, for allegedly making a threat towards District 118 Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis.
