Presidents and principals from the some of the city’s leading Catholic high schools are asking Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Dr. Allison Arwady, the Commissioner of Public Health, to relax COVID restrictions.
"We urge you to immediately rescind the City of Chicago’s indoor mask mandate, at least as it applies to schools and school events. Not only has the indoor mask mandate outlived its usefulness, but it’s also inflicting tangible damage to our young people that will take years to heal. The sooner we get to that work, the better all of us – including the young people who will lead our communities in the future – will be," the coalition wrote.
The group of school leaders noted they had done all Chicago and the state had asked to combat COVID but the time to move on is now.
The letter was signed by Larry Tucker, president, and Meg Dunneback, principal, of Marist High School; Mark Donahue, president, and Bob Alberts, principal, Brother Rice High School; Brendan Conroy, president, and Scott Tabernacki, principal, Mount Carmel High School; Mary Klingenberger, president, and Eileen O’Reilly, principal, Mother McAuley High School; and Jim Quaid, president and principal, St. Rita High School.
The schools noted their populations had suffered over the course of the pandemic.
"The last two years have taken a huge toll on our students. Our guidance counselors report rising caseloads of students with worsening social and emotional problems. Data from across the country tell the tale of increasing depression, suicide and other serious emotional health problems students experience as COVID restrictions continue," the coalition wrote.
"We have heard from our students, our families and our community. We see what prolonged virus-related restrictions are doing to their lives. Chicago’s young people are not immune."
On the state level, Gov. J.B. Pritzker lost a court hearing a week and a half ago in which the judge noted mask mandates are unconstitutional.
Since then, a growing number of schools, under the pressure of increasing parental pressure, have made masks optional.
The Archdiocese of Chicago held out but finally caved in to schools outside of areas like Chicago where local rules trump those of the school or state rules.
Lightfoot and Arwardy have shown no sign of allwoing mask-optional schools.
In a Monday press conference, Lightfoot reminded those attending Pritzker’s Feb. 28 deadline to do away with indoor masks that it only applies to the state, not Chicago or Chicago Public Schools.
"We’re making progress but we’re not there yet," Lightfoot said of doing away with the mask mandate.
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