An Elmhurst private school's status has been reinstated Friday after being previously revoked due to academic officials considering beginning the year with optional masking.
Timothy Christian Schools had its recognition status with the Illinois State Board of Education fully restored "with all of its rights and privileges," according to a release.
"I am pleased with this anticipated outcome and appreciate the prompt response from ISBE," Supt. of Timothy Christian Schools Matt Davison said in a statement. "We will start school on August 25 united. We will love and respect one another. I’m certain of it."
The ISBE’s removal of the school’s recognition would have resulted in high school seniors graduating with a diploma from an unrecognized school, the inability for families to participate in a tax scholarship program and the school’s ineligibility to participate in Illinois High School Association and Illinois Elementary School Association sanctioned sports.
Davidson said in a video posted Wednesday that the goal was to remain "mask optional" as the school looks at the legality of the state mandate.
“This isn’t an act of defiance. We’re not puffing our chest out. We’re not ramping up for some big fight,” Davidson said in the video.
On Thursday, however, Timothy Christian Schools clarified that it will comply the mask order. But the school said that it was troubled by the ISBE’s action, specifically because its first day is not until Aug. 25 and that it never announced it would be noncompliant.
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