February 18, 2022

Dear Rock Island-Milan School District Families,

Late last night, an Illinois appellate court dismissed the school mask mandate appeal which now will allow for flexibility for masking in schools. Therefore, after further review of this development, the Rock Island-Milan School District has made the decision to move forward by transitioning from being “mask required” to “mask recommended” in all of our school buildings beginning Monday, February 21, 2022.

Because the risk of transmission of the virus still exists and the safety of students and staff remains a high priority, wearing a mask will continue to be strongly recommended, but not required. Whether the choice is to wear a mask or not, all choices are to be respected. As a reminder, masks will still be required on buses, per the federal transportation mandate.

As we move forward, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all of you, our school community, for your continued support and understanding over the past few years in dealing with the numerous changes that have impacted our district. While we do not know what new challenges may arise, I do know that as a community, we will continue to persevere and get through it together. I again ask that you respect the decisions made by individual families as we move forward into our next phase of the school year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Reginald Lawrence