Brown County School Board Reverses Course on Mask Mandate

By Jeremy Coumbes on August 20, 2021 at 9:32am

Another area school district has reversed course on the state’s mask mandate.

The Brown County Community School District No. 1 voted recently to make masks optional for the upcoming school year and was subsequently put on probation Wednesday by the Illinois State Board of Education.

According to a report by WGEM, the Brown County School Board met last night for just over three hours, hearing from approximately 27 people during public comment, with only four of those speaking against the mandate. The board voted unanimously to mandate masks and go back in line with the state.

The district must now provide ISBE with ways it will comply and enforce the mandate within 60 days, however, the decision allows the district to avoid having to hold a conference with ISBE to restore its position to good standing.

Brown County was the second district in the area to reverse course on the mask issue this week after Camp Point voted to comply at a special meeting held on Monday.