BARRINGTON, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A northwest suburban school district has voted to make masks optional for students in sixth grade and above, regardless of vaccination status.
The Barrington 220 School District school board made the decision Tuesday after a boisterous and occasionally contentious school board meeting.
"I am not an anti-mask person. I respect your right to wear a mask, because you have someone who is immunocompromised," said one member.
"One-hundred percent. I salute you. But there is not a person here that doesn't take their children to Costco, to a restaurant, to Jewel, and is already participating...so there is no reason for our children to be masked," he added.
People opposed to masks carried signs and cheered on anyone who testified that masks weren't necessary for their kids.
"We have to be logical in this process and you guys have already robbed our children of a year of education," said one man.
Others felt the mask requirement was needed, because they said the COVID-19 pandemic is not over.
"It's easy to forget how deadly COVID-19 can be, especially during periods like this where we have low infection rates and societal reopening is occuring in our area," said another man.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention policy said masks are required for students who are not vaccinated, the Barrington policy does not differentiate between students who are vaccinated and those who are not.
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