The second Unit 5 tax referendum campaign in six months will be a lot more specific on what happens if it doesn't pass than the first one was. Before the failed November referendum, school district leaders said they didn't want to get into the details of what they would do if it failed because they wanted to make a positive case for preserving the schools as they are.
WGLT Jeremy DeHaai center, was the only Unit 5 school board member to vote against a universal masking requirement to begin the school year during the board s meeting Wednesday night.
The Unit 5 school board voted 6-1 Wednesday evening to require all students, teachers, and other staff to wear masks in schools at the start of the year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Superintendent Kristen Weikle said the district will reassess the requirement about Sept. 21, which is two weeks after students return from the Labor Day break.
That date, she said, is intentional. Throughout the pandemic, holidays have provided a greater chance for spikes in cases of COVID-19 as families travel and socialize outside their usual patterns.