CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he will ask the Illinois Supreme Court to step in after his administration lost an attempt to keep statewide masking and other COVID-19 mitigation measures at schools in place, as more than 500 Illinois districts pivot to mask optional policies.
The ruling late Thursday dismissing Pritzker’s appeal from a midlevel appellate court effectively means Illinois school districts no longer must require students and staff to mask up, though the decision leaves room for school systems to implement their own COVID-19 safety rules.
A spokeswoman for Pritzker said Friday the governor’s office is working with the attorney general’s office to request an expedited review of the appellate ruling by the state’s highest court.
