Evanston Township High School will not require face coverings on school premises for students and staff who are fully vaccinated, the school announced. 

The policy, which went into effect on Monday, falls in line with current state and national guidelines for in-person education this fall. The school will continue to require unvaccinated individuals to wear masks on school grounds, and all community members regardless of vaccination status must wear masks on public transportation and school buses. 

Since the policy has already gone into effect, it will impact extracurricular events such as sports and rehearsals that occur before the school year begins. ETHS will also continue to practice mitigation techniques, such as social distancing, when students return to school.  

This policy differs from that of Evanston/Skokie School District 65, which requires all community members to wear a mask on school premises. This decision is, in part, impacted by students’ vaccination capabilities. Currently, existing COVID-19 vaccines are only approved for use in patients 12 and older. 

However, other factors, such as the spread of the delta variant, may impact school protocols in coming months. As a result, ETHS will continue to provide updates and encourages eligible community members to get vaccinated. 

“Additional details will be provided in the coming weeks as ETHS shares back-to-school information, as well as mitigation efforts that are comprehensive and responsive,” Superintendent Eric Witherspoon wrote in the release. “We will continue to work closely with our state and local public health agencies to closely monitor the most up-to-date guidance for schools.”

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Twitter: @jacobnfulton

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— Illinois schools lift mask mandate for vaccinated individuals for fall

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