The Illinois State Board of Education’s process for punishing schools that fail to adhere to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 mask mandate has earned scrutiny from members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR).
During a Sept. 14 JCAR hearing, the ISBE fielded questions about its disciplinary measures which drew concern from Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont).
"Whether you agree with mask mandates or not, due process is a necessary and important step that is currently missing from ISBE’s enforcement of the Governor’s executive order," Curran posted on Facebook.
Pritzker, a Democrat, last month issued an order requiring masks in public and private schools statewide.
The Chicago Tribune reported that state Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala told local school district leaders that noncompliance with the order “is not an option.”
Schools that run afoul of the mandate risk losing their recognition from the state.
When he implemented the order, Pritzker argued that masks are necessary to counter the rise in COVID-19 cases in Illinois.
The mandate has met much opposition, the DuPage Policy Journal reported.
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