The Odin School Board Monday night updated their Return to School plan to require students and staff to wear masks while inside the building.
Superintendent Kimberly Briggs joined other area superintendents in expressing the frustration of being given control to determine their own COVID-19 mitigations only to have the Governor take it way two weeks later and mandate the masks. But she told the board she didn’t think they had a choice but to follow the mandate.
“It’s mandated by the State of Illinois and we need to follow those guidelines that are mandated to us in the District for the safety of the kids and the liability of the district.”
Briggs says the district’s insurance carrier said they would not be covered for any COVID-related issue if they weren’t following the current guidelines. There was also concern about funding being taken away.
Briggs says they will look at lifting the masking requirement as soon as they are allowed to by state Public Health officials.
Two board members voted against the masking requirement. They were Rudy Walker and Chris Haines. The board also made some changes in its student handbook for the coming school year.
Students will no longer be allowed to carry cell phones to class and must leave them in their lockers. A dress code will be implemented for Kindergarten to Fifth grade that will be identical to the one already in effect for students in the higher grades. In the past, lower grade teachers had to determine if the dress was appropriate without any specific guidelines for students and parents.
Odin will return to wearing school-issued PE uniforms. The district will pay for the initial uniforms with students having to pay replacement costs if they lose their first uniform. Briggs reported the district’s security system has been updated with a new control system and two additional cameras. Building security will now be able to be monitored off-campus.
