Cumberland School Board Hears from Supporters of Going Maskless

Every school board in Illinois is waiting for guidelines from the Illinois State Board of Education regarding wearing masks in school.

The number of COVID cases in Illinois is greatly reduced, and many citizens are supportive of going maskless during the coming school year. ISBE has indicated that guidelines will be announced early in July. 

Several citizens attended this month's Cumberland school board meeting in support of dispensing with masks. School officials indicated that they want to wait until the State shares its information before finalizing what the district will do. 

In other business, the Cumberland board approved a revised budget for the current fiscal year; retained Mose, Yockey, Brown and Kull to conduct the audit of the past fiscal year; approved membership in the IHSA; and approved a facility use agreement with the JFL program. Member Howard Markwell voted No, saying JFL should have to follow the same health department guidelines as the school district follows. 

Board members heard that the first day of student attendance will be Friday, August 13. Registration for Cumberland students will begin Monday, August 9. 

In personnel matters, the Cumberland board hired Misty Markwell as a secretary, hired Brett Horath as a high school English teacher, hired Caroline Kirchmer as an elementary teacher, assigned Mariellen Taylor to the Learning, Credit, and Course Recovery teaching position, set the salaries for building principals and other administrative positions, accepted the resignations of Tia Sawyer, Sarah Brown, Brian Muhr and Brittney Johns as teachers effective immediately, and accepted the resignations of John Hendrix as middle school assistant softball coach and as the high school head softball coach and of Mark Jackley as high school head baseball coach, effective immediately.