ROCKFORD — Masks will no longer be mandatory for RPS 205 students, teachers, staff, and visitors beginning Tuesday, Feb. 22.

Superintendent Ehren Jerrett made the announcement in a letter to families Friday.

“We will continue to follow guidance from state and local health officials and treat COVID-19 like we do other illnesses,” the letter said.

Masks will still be required on school buses, Jerrett said.

The news came a day after an Illinois appeals court dismissed an appeal of a judge’s ruling that invalidated Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s requirement that masks be worn in schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Pritzker is reportedly preparing an appeal to the decision in the Illinois Supreme Court.

Rockford schools are closed Monday for President’s Day.