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Illinois Christian School Temporary Lost State Recognition After Delay In Updating Mask Mandate

Illinois Christian School Temporary Lost State Recognition After Delay In Updating Mask Mandate

 ORLANDO, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2021/08/10: Principal Nathan Hay performs temperature checks on students as they arrive on the first day of classes for the 2021-22 school year at Baldwin Park Elementary School. Due to the current surge in COVID-19 cases in Florida, Orange County public schools have implemented a face mask mandate for students for 30 days unless a parent chooses to opt out of the requirement.

A private, Christian school in the Chicago suburbs temporarily lost its state recognition after it delayed updating its health guidelines to include Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s in-school mask mandate.

Timothy Christian School in Elmhurst, Illinois, published a video of the school’s superintendent stating that leadership intends on waiting to implement a mask mandate until closer to the first day of school. Superintendent Matt Davidson cited construction projects in the high school that will delay Timothy Christian students from returning to school at the same time as most public schools in the state. “We’ve taken a very prayerful and methodical approach … Our goal is to stick with the Timothy health plan, and that plan is mask optional,” Davidson said. “Due to the construction project in the high school, we are starting school a full week later (or more) than most schools. This gives us a unique advantage and extra time to see how this matter plays out statewide as schools open their doors. This also gives us more time to closely observe local data and other Covid metrics.” 

Following the video’s publication, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) sent an email to Timothy Christian’s leadership informing them that the school’s recognition status was revoked because the school “declined to affirm” the state’s universal masking requirements. 

Timothy Christian denies that it defied the state’s mandate by delaying the reinstitution of a mask mandate. “We’ve taken a very prayerful and methodical approach … Our goal is to stick with the Timothy health plan, and that plan is mask optional,” Davidson said. “Due to the construction project in the high school, we are starting school a full week later (or more) than most schools. This gives us a unique advantage and extra time to see how this matter plays out statewide as schools open their doors. This also gives us more time to closely observe local data and other Covid metrics.” 

Following the video’s publication, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) sent an email to Timothy Christian’s leadership informing them that the school’s recognition status was revoked because the school “declined to affirm” the state’s universal masking requirements. 

Timothy Christian denies that it defied the state’s mandate by delaying the reinstitution of a mask mandate. 


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