MORTON, Ill. – The Morton School District is moving forward with being a part of a lawsuit being filed against the Illinois State Board of Education regarding rules imposed surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The District 709 Board of Education approved the move Tuesday. A number of other school districts have already signed on to the suit against the Illinois State Board of Education and State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala.
The district says in a news release it is following the state’s return to school protocols despite what it calls “reluctant compliance,” and having adopted its own plan.
“…prior to the start of classes last summer, the Board, with administration input, adopted a Return to School Plan that balanced safety with other important considerations such as student and employee attendance, social and mental health, the efficacy of various mitigation measures, learning and achievement,” a district news release said. “We advocated for a more localized, arguably more accurate assessment of infection risk and transmission within our schools and community.”
The state started threatening some schools with removing their recognition status if they didn’t follow the plan.
As of last Saturday, a separate district news release indicated 29 students currently have COVID-19, an increase of three from the week prior. Nine staff members also tested prior, also an increase of three from the week prior.
Superintendent Jeff Hill has declined 1470 & 100.3 WMBD’s request for an interview.
