The Patoka School Board did not reach a decision on Thursday whether to bring the school into compliance with the mask mandate enacted by Governor J.B. Pritzker earlier this month. The board heard public comment on the issue and was scheduled to hold a vote at the meeting, but decided to postpone it. Members agreed it was best to wait until after an upcoming conference with the Illinois State Board of Education to receive more information about potential consequences before making a decision.
After the meeting, Superintendent David Rademacher explained the choice to delay the vote.
“We have a meeting with the state board on Tuesday, so they (the Patoka school board) wanted to make sure they’d heard everything they needed to hear to make the best decision for the district.”
The board will reconvene next Thursday, August 26, at 7:00 P.M., at which time they expect to vote on whether to adopt a plan that includes a mask requirement.
The Patoka school board has thus far kept the wearing of masks optional in school, a policy which they’ve maintained despite the Illinois mandate requiring masks for all students and school employees. As a result, Patoka is now one of over 40 Illinois school districts placed on probation by the ISBE for failing to comply with the mandate. The state board has threatened that schools that do not abide by the mandate will face losing state recognition, which would result in loss of state funding, inability to participate in IHSA athletics and the diplomas of graduating seniors not being recognized by state institutions.
The controversy brought an audience of dozens to the meeting as members of the Patoka community (some wearing masks, and some not) attended to discuss this important decision. The public comment portion of the meeting lasted for over an hour and began with principal Justin Venhaus reading two letters on behalf of students unable to attend the meeting. Those students expressed a desire to comply with the state mandate due to concern about how a loss of state recognition would affect them. After that, members of the public took turns speaking to the board, discussing topics surrounding the mask mandate such as health risks, political stances, the responsibilities of the board, and the needs of students. Though there were instances of argument between those in attendance, the board maintained order and the meeting proceeded without problems.
In business aside from the mask conversation, the board approved the budget for the 2021-2022 school year. Superintendent Rademacher expressed positivity, stating that the budget is balanced and, as of now, in the black. The board also approved of a basketball co-op with Odin, pending Odin’s agreement to a deal that would have most home games hosted at Patoka.
