Dupage Policy Journal

At a special board meeting tonight, the Glen Ellyn District 41 School Board voted 4-1 in favor of going mask-optional, allowing its 3,576 students to attend school for the first time in nearly two years with their faces uncovered a week from Tuesday.

Board President Robert Bruno, 68, voted 'yes.' along with Ted Estes, 60, Julie Hill, 43, and Jason Loebach, 45.

Board member Tayyaba Syed, 41, voted 'no' and immediately got up and left the meeting.

Board member Jessica Buttimer, 46, suggested she wanted to vote 'no' but instead, chose not to vote.

Board member Chris Martelli, 49, didn't attend the meeting.

Before his vote, Loebach, a longtime school mask supporter, said he wanted to address criticism he had received for posting a photo of himself mask-less in a Naperville coffee shop on Facebook, leading to a DuPage Policy Journal report.

Loebach excused his behavior, saying "there is no mask mandate in place for eating in drinking in a place such as a coffee house," leading to jeers and laughter from a spirited crowd of Glen Ellyn parents and residents opposing mask mandates.

"I heard my name brought up in public comment about being in a coffee house without a mask on, and I think it's important to note that there is no mask mandate in place for eating in drinking in a place such as a coffee house," said Loebach, adding that public criticism of him is divisive

"I'm fine with people writing an article about me; I'm an elected official, I know what I signed up for," Loebach said. "But we cannot use it as a divide between our neighbors and our friends. Our kids see (news articles) and our kids take that home."

Buttimer, Estes, Hill and Loebach all lamented having to make the vote.

"This is not a fun position to be in," Buttimer said. She complained that the anti-mask crowd scared away pro-mask protestors, and said she wished the DuPage County Health Board would make decisions like these for them.

"I don't enjoy doing this kind of work. This is not what I signed up for," said Estes, before "reluctantly voting 'yes.'

Bruno was first elected in 2017.