Illinois reinstates Christian schools’ recognition status after revoking for non-compliance of mask mandate

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) on Friday reinstated Timothy Christian Schools’ recognition status after having revoked it for non-compliance with the state’s universal indoor mask mandate, the Daily Herald reports. Updating its health policy to comply with the mandate, Timothy Christian said it had not outrightly rejected Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s school mask order, but had been conducting “due diligence” to assess its legality.

ISBE confirmed in a letter to Timothy Schools Friday that it would reinstate recognition for the institution, which has elementary, middle, and high schools at an Elmhurst campus, the Daily Herald reported. Revocation of recognition status comes with a number of penalties, including the state’s non-recognition of the schools’ diplomas.

In a statement, ISBE spokeswoman Jaclyn Matthews said: “Since having its recognition status removed, the school has changed its position and newly updated its health plan to require universal indoor masking. We appreciate the school’s cooperation to protect the health and safety of its students and staff.”

Following the initial ISBE revocation, Timothy Christian issued a statement Thursday saying, “Timothy made a schoolwide commitment to its community that it would use the two weeks before school starts (Aug. 25) to look more closely at the issue of universal masking in schools, and its impact on Timothy, specifically. The intent prior to the first day of school was to spend the time to gain an understanding of the executive order, the timing of its expiration, enforcement, and available legal options.”

In response to ultimately having the institution’s status restored, Timothy Christian Superintendent Matt Davidson said: “I am pleased with this anticipated outcome and appreciate the prompt response from ISBE. It is going to be a great year for Timothy Christian Schools … actually, it’s going to be our best yet.”

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