Which districts are reopening school buildings, going all virtual, or a mix of the two? We’re tracking reopening plans in the Chicago metro region and state’s largest school districts. We’ve recently moved from daily updates to a weekly wrap-up as the school year starts. Don’t see your district listed? Write to us at chicago.tips@chalkbeat.org.
Friday, September 11
Parents, students and a few teachers from different school districts protested in Wheaton — a west suburb 25 miles from Chicago — against remote learning on Tuesday night. CBS 2 reported that protestors were trying to pressure Community School District 200 and neighboring school districts to allow students back into classrooms.
In Chicago, the families are ending their first week of school. On Friday, the district dropped first day attendance data which showed 84.2% of students attending online classes — a 10 percentage point drop from the usual first-day figures. Schools chief Janice Jackson said in a statement that she was “proud” of the efforts made by educators and schools to connect with students, although some individual schools did show substantially lower rates of attendance than the district average.
Friday, September 4
Chicago Public Schools, the largest school district in the state, will begin school on Tuesday. Families and students are preparing to attend classes online for six hours of learning each day. The district plans to shift back to normal letter grades and track students’ attendance daily.
“As we prepare for an unprecedented start to the upcoming school year, we’ve set clear expectations for students and staff to improve remote instruction and ensure that our students are supported and their unique needs are met,” said Chicago schools chief Janice Jackson in a statement.
The Illinois State Board of Education updated its database on schools reopening throughout the state. As of Sept. 1, the board reports that out of 848 local school districts and 4,048 schools, 31% of schools are remote, 42% are blending in-person and virtual learning, and 28% are planning full in-person instruction.
Friday, August 27
Here is what we know today about fall reopening plans:
Avoca School District 37, located in the north suburbs of Chicago, will start school on Aug. 31, The district has decided on a hybrid learning schedule where parents can choose some in-person instruction or full-remote learning. For the hybrid model, students will attend school every day from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m, except Mondays.
Evergreen Park Community High School District 231, in the south suburbs of Chicago, will start school on Sept. 1 with a full-remote learning plan for the first quarter. In the second quarter, the district will transition into a blended learning model where 50% of the student body will be on campus each day for two to three days a week. Students will attend school between 8 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. On the days where students are not required to be in school, they will complete coursework online.
South Holland School District 150, in the south suburbs, will start the school year on Sept. 2 with full-remote learning.
Tuesday, August 18
Here is what we know today about fall reopening plans:
Orland School District 135, in the south suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year virtually. It is the latest district to scrap a hybrid learning plan because of the state’s new health guidelines.
Wilmette School District 39, in the north suburbs of Chicago, will begin the school year on Aug. 31 with a week of remote learning. Students who choose in-person learning will return to school buildings after Labor Day. The district plans for students to start attending in-person classes full-time, five days a week as soon as Oct. 5.
Butler School District 53, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will delay full, in-person learning by two weeks. A board member said teachers overwhelmingly favored a two-week transition period.
Monday, August 17
More districts will start the school year with all-remote learning. In the state’s capital, one district has implemented a remote learning dress code.
Springfield School District 186 plans for an all-remote start to the school year. In-person classes could resume as early as Oct. 26. The district is also extending its dress code to remote learning environments. Students cannot wear pajamas during remote classes and should be “sitting up out of bed.”
New Lenox School District 122 will start the school year virtually on Aug. 31. The superintendent said the district could not offer in-person classes and adhere to the state guidelines released Aug. 12.
Lockport Township High School will start the school year with remote classes. Remote classes are scheduled to begin on Aug. 20.
Friday, August 14
Here is what we know today about reopening plans:
Hinsdale High School District 86 has reversed course and will start the school year online. Classes will begin on Monday.
Elmhurst School District 205, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will only offer remote classes for the first three weeks of school. The superintendent said the district had to delay in-person learning because it could not staff classrooms. Classes are set to begin on Aug. 24.
St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 has ordered additional personal protective equipment for its reopening. The district has purchased plexiglass shields, for example, which will be used for teacher and support staff desks, student desks and at food service locations. Students will start the school year with remote classes, but could return to in-person classes as soon as Sept. 8.
Thursday, August 13
More than half of students will start the school year with remote classes, new data from the state Board of Education shows. Districts with remote plans, however, are largely concentrated in the metro Chicago area.
Rockford Public Schools District 205, the third largest district in the state, will move forward with a blended learning model, but will close school buildings to most students on Wednesdays. All middle and high school students who opted for in-person classes will be in school buildings on Mondays and Thursdays. Students who need additional support will be in school buildings on Wednesdays in the morning.
Tuesday, August 11
Here is what we know today about reopening plans:
St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 plans for a phased reopening of school buildings. All high school students will start the school year with remote learning only until at least September 8. Classes are set to begin on August 19.
Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 will start the school year with remote learning only. The superintendent said a growing concern for safety contributed to the district’s decision to not return to classrooms.
Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 will offer families a choice between in-person and remote learning. The district has also delayed the start of the school year by one week and utilize five remote learning planning days. Classes are now set to begin on September 8 .
Monday, August 10
Districts across the state continue to revise plans and move to an all-remote start. In some districts, including Zion-Benton Township High School District 126, teachers are still expected to be on campus.
Here is what we know today about fall reopening plans:
East Maine School District 63, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, will resume classes on August 20 with remote learning only. The district has also waived its fees for the school year, with the exception of transportation and technology fees.
Summit Hill School District 161, in the south suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with all-remote learning. Classes are set to begin on August 31.
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126, in the far north suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with online classes only. Teachers will be in school buildings two days a week for office hours.
Friday, August 7
As coronavirus cases rise across Illinois and many schools prepare to reopen their campuses, Gov. J.B. Pritzker stressed Friday that everyone must wear face coverings in public to help stop the spread of the virus.
Pritzker, who spoke at a press conference, reiterated that schools can only host gatherings with 50 people or fewer. Kathi Griffin, president of the Illinois Education Association, and Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, who attended the event, asked that school officials follow the state’s safety guidelines and consult with local public health officials to safely welcome back students.
“If a school is not able to implement and follow support and enforce these guidelines, you should begin remotely for the safety of our children,” Griffin said, “This is not how we wanted to begin teaching with our kids this year. We wanted to be with our kids, but we have to do so in a safe manner.”
Here is what we know today about school reopening plans:
Rockford Public Schools District 205, the third largest district in the state, announced that more than 50 percent of survey respondents enrolled in remote learning only for the fall. The district is tentatively planning to reopen with a blended learning model.
River Forest School District 90, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with remote learning only. The district will assess if schools can move to a hybrid learning model on October 1. The district is working with the local YMCA to provide remote learning supervision to younger kids.
Lincolnwood School District 74, in the north suburbs of Chicago, is offering families a choice between full-time in-person classes and remote classes. All students will attend remote classes from August 25 through August 28 in order to implement safety protocols. In-person classes are to resume on August 31.
Thursday, August 6
Arlington Heights Township High School 214, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, will largely start the school year online. But some of the more vulnerable students — those that are homeless or qualify for special education services — will have the option of attending school in-person.
East Aurora Unified School District 131 will start the school year virtually for at least the first quarter. The district had previously planned for some in-person classes to begin in early September.
Lyons Township High School District 204, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will continue with remote classes for at least the first quarter.
La Grange School District 102 will allow students to return to school buildings five days a week. Students will take in-person lessons half the day and remote lessons for the other half.
Wednesday, August 5
Chicago Public Schools has reversed course and will start the school year online. The announcement comes as infection rates are climbing across the city. The district will aim to transition to a hybrid plan at the start of the second quarter on Nov. 9.
Naperville District 203, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with e-learning for at least the first six weeks of school.
Tuesday, August 4
Here is what we know today about fall plans:
Oswego School District 308 will start the school year with remote learning. The district is considering delaying the start date.
Springfield School District 186 has pushed back the first day of classes from Aug. 24th to Aug. 31st. This district is offering families a choice between all-remote and some in-person classes.
St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 has delayed its start date to Aug. 19, in part to align its academic calendar with other school districts.. The district will also use the additional time to train staff and implement building protocols.
Monday, August 3
Here is what we know today about reopening plans:
North Chicago School District 187, in the far north suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with remote learning only. The first day of classes is Aug. 20th.
Dolton West School District 148, in the south suburbs of Chicago, plans for an all-remote start to the school year. The district has said it will distribute a laptop to every student in the district within the first few weeks of school. Classes are set to begin Aug. 9th.
Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95, is considering two options: full time remote learning, and hybrid learning. The district was considering a full, in-person learning model but ruled it out, saying that they could not “provide adequate social distancing as currently required by health authorities.”
New Lenox School District 122 will offer families a choice between in-person and remote learning. Students who opt into remote learning will engage in some daily live instruction, asynchronous classes and independent activities.
Friday, July 31
Here is what we know today about reopening plans:
Des Plaines Community Consolidated School District 62, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, will offer families a choice between hybrid and remote learning. Students who opt into all-remote learning will be taught by remote teachers.
Community Consolidated School District 59, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with all-remote classes. The district plans to return to in-person instruction in September. Classes are set to begin on Aug. 17.
Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, has reversed course and will start the school with remote learning only. An earlier plan included some in-person instruction. The district plans to return to in-person learning on Oct. 5
Morton Grove School District 70, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, will offer parents a choice between in-person and remote learning. In-person classes will not start until at least after Labor Day. When students return to school buildings, common areas will not be open for regular use. The district has created a “response matrix” that details what the school’s community should do if students begin to exhibit COVID-19 symptoms.
Cicero School District 99, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will have an all-remote start to the school year.
Glenbard Township High School District 87, in the west suburbs of Chicago, is offering a hybrid and a remote learning option. Should Glenbard retreat a phase in the governor’s coronavirus reopening plan, the district will return to remote learning for all students.
Lombard School District 44, in the west suburbs of Chicago, plans for an all-remote start to the school year. The district is exploring daycare options for families.
Cook County School District 130, in the south suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with all-remote classes. Students will be in school buildings four days a week. Wednesdays will be designated for collaborative planning opportunities for teachers.
Chicago Heights School District 170, in the south suburbs of Chicago, has delayed its start date from Aug. 13 to Sept. 8.
Thursday, July 30
Not only are school districts starting to take back their initial reopening plans that included some in-person instructions, districts are now delaying their start dates. A rise in cases is one concern prompting the change. So is staffing.
Glenview School District 34, in the north suburbs of Chicago, plans for an all remote start to school until at least September 29. The district cited the rise in cases in the region, staffing and substitutes, as well as space as key factors in its reopening plan.
Barrington School District 220, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with remote learning only. The superintendent has called its earlier hybrid learning plan “unattainable.”
Indian Prairie District 204, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will consider delaying the start of the school year to September 3. Classes are currently scheduled to start August 20.
Naperville District 203, in the west suburbs of Chicago, has delayed the start of the school year to September 1. The district is tentatively planning for a hybrid model of learning, with a remote learning option. The deadline to opt into remote learning has been suspended indefinitely.
McHenry Community Consolidated School District 15, in the south suburbs of Chicago, voted unanimously to offer remote classes only for the first trimester.
Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 is offering families a choice between hybrid learning and remote learning. Students who opt into hybrid learning will be in school buildings two or three days a week.
Wednesday, July 29
The Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers, the two largest teachers unions in the state, announced Wednesday that they would consider striking if schools don’t follow safe health and safety measures amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This announcement highlights the division between school district leaders and unions. How to reopen safely remains a big question. School districts have walked back initial reopening plans that include in-person learning to full remote learning. Educators have held rallies to push back against opening school buildings citing concerns about safety and health.
This is what we know today about reopening plans:
Chicago Public Schools has released metrics that would move the district to shift its reopening plans. The district is tentatively planning for most students to be school buildings two days a week. But if the city reaches 400 new cases a day or 200 new cases a day with concerning factors such as a spike in cases, the district would switch to all remote learning. Fewer than 100 new cases a day would prompt the district to consider a return to full, in-person instruction after consultation with local health officials.
Plainfield School District 202, one of the state’s largest districts, will start the school year with all remote learning. On Monday, the school board voted in favor of the district reopening plan, which was an amendment to an earlier all remote plan that failed to pass earlier this month.
Joliet Public Schools District 86 will continue with remote classes for at least a trimester. The district will reassess in the fall if schools can safely transition to a hybrid learning model. The announcement is a change from an earlier plan to start the school year with some in-person classes.
Community Unit School District 300, based in Algonquin, has changed its reopening plan and will offer remote instruction only through at least the first quarter. The district was previously preparing for an in-person return for younger students and hybrid instruction for high school students.
Arlington Heights District 25, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, will begin the school year with remote learning only. In a recent parent survey, all-remote learning was the least popular option, but the district said it is moving forward anyway out of precaution. Students with special needs will receive tele-therapy. There will be no extracurricular activities for the month of September.
Community Consolidated Schools District 168, in the south suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with e-learning only. The district had previously planned to offer some in-person learning — a revision of an earlier hybrid reopening plan.
Troy Community Consolidated School District 30C, based in Plainfield, is giving families a choice between blended learning days and all remote learning. Students will have a blended schedule with in-person instruction in the morning and remote learning in the afternoon. Parents have the option to select all-remote learning.
Tuesday, July 28
Illinois school districts are starting to get pushback on their fall reopening plans. Educators and parents have raised concerns about reopening school buildings amid the coronavirus pandemic, fearing that they are putting students and staff members at risk.
On Monday, educators, school employees, and families held a rally in Rockford to ask school districts in the area to keep school buildings closed and start school remotely this fall.
In Chicago, the Chicago Teachers Union has called for all-remote learning, saying that Black and Latino students will be hit the hardest if the pandemic worsens. Two in five parents want the school year to start with remote learning, according to a poll by the Stand for Children Leadership Center.
Here is what we know about school reopening plans:
Glenbrook High School District 225, in the northern suburbs of Chicago, will continue with virtual learning, but plans to transition to hybrid learning, when conditions allow. Students who participate in the remote learning model will attend class in either the morning or afternoon.
West Harvey-Dixmoor School District 147, in the south suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with remote classes for at least the first six weeks.
Woodridge District 68, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will start the school year with all remote learning. The district will continue to provide meals to students.
Lemont-Bromberek School District 113A will allow families to choose between all remote classes or in-person classes five days a week. Classes are set to begin on August 14. Students who opt into remote learning must commit for the first trimester.
East Aurora Unified School District 131 will start remote classes on August 24, but plans to transition to a hybrid of in-person and remote classes on September 8.
Monday, July 27
Another reversal in the announcements Monday:
Maywood-Melrose-Broadview District 89, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will continue with remote classes for at least the first academic quarter. The district had previously planned for a hybrid of in-person and remote classes, but cited the rise in cases as a cause for their change in plans.
Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 will begin the school year with remote classes on Aug. 17. The district plans to shift to some in-person classes for students in pre-kindergarten through third grade.
Friday, July 24
Oak Park Elementary School District 97, in the west suburbs of Chicago, tentatively plans to continue with remote classes for the first trimester, reversing a previous decision to reopen with a hybrid learning model.
Orland Park Consolidated High School District 230, in the south suburbs of Chicago, plans for a phased reopening of school buildings. The district will start the school year with 25% of students on-site at a time. Students can choose to take all remote classes. If the state retreats to Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s coronavirus recovery plan, all students will take remote classes.
Orland School District 135, in the south suburbs of Chicago, plans for families to choose between blended learning and remote learning. Students who opt into blended learning will be in school buildings two to three days a week.
Libertyville-Vernon Hills High School District 128, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, announced that all students will participate in remote instruction when classes start in August.
Huntley Community School 158, in Algonquin, will offer some in-person classes. Elementary and sixth grade students can return to school buildings five days a week. Seventh, eighth and high school students can opt into a hybrid of in-person and remote classes. All students can opt instead into fully remote learning.
Joliet Public Schools District 86 will offer a hybrid learning model, where students are in school buildings one to two days a week. Students will receive daily social emotional lessons. Families can opt into entirely remote learning.
Crystal Lake Elementary School District 47 will start the school year with three weeks of remote classes. On Sept. 14, the district will transition to some in-person classes four hours a day, five days a week. Students will still participate in one hour of remote classes and families could choose to continue with entirely remote classes.
Grayslake Consolidated High School District 127 will offer remote instruction for the first quarter of the school year.
Thursday, July 23
As coronavirus cases rise throughout the state, Illinois school districts have started revising their reopening plans.
The state board of education’s mid-June guidance gave districts the flexibility to offer in-person instruction and remote learning days in case of a COVID-19 resurgence. So far, many school districts’ plans included hybrid learning models and an option for parents to opt- out of in-person instruction.
But with cases on the rise, and as teachers and families respond to tentative reopening plans with criticism, districts are going back to the drawing board — and doing it just weeks before August start dates in some places.
So far, Elgin School District U-46, Stevenson High School District 125, Evanston School District 202 were all planning for hybrid learning, but will now start the school year with remote learning. River Forest School District 90 planned to have in-person days; leaders are reconsidering because of pushback from teachers and students.
Whether this new trend will occur across the state is yet to be known. Here is the latest round of plans:
Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124, in the south suburbs of Chicago, will offer families a choice between remote and in-person instruction full-time. Students who opt into remote learning must commit for the first semester, but those who opt into in-person learning can later move to remote learning.
Calumet Public School District 132, in the south suburbs of Chicago, will continue with remote learning in the fall.
Wheaton-Warrenville Community School District 200, in the western suburbs of Chicago, announced that early childhood, elementary school and students will receive daily in-person instruction. Middle and high school students will follow a hybrid learning model. Students of all ages can opt into e-learning.
Arlington Heights Township High School 214, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, plans for students to attend in-person classes five days a week. Students can attend classes in a remote setting. The district has installed a voice amplification and video camera system in instructional spaces.
River Forest School District 90, in the western suburbs of Chicago, had planned for elementary school students to attend full-time in-person classes and for middle school students to attend a hybrid of in-person and remote classes. But after pushback from teachers and parents against in-person instruction, the school board has announced it will reconsider the district’s reopening plan.
Wednesday, July 22
Plainfield School District 202, one of the state’s largest districts, all remote learning plan failed to pass at Monday’s board meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 17. School is scheduled to start in late August.
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 plans for to start the school year with remote instruction through at least September 28. If conditions permit, students who choose will transition to a hybrid learning model. Educators will receive toolkits around social and emotional learning to use in daily activities with students. The district also plans to assign bus aides to supervise assigned seating.
Tuesday, July 21
Elgin School District U-46, the second largest district in the state, will start the school year with remote classes and plans to transition to a hybrid learning model after Oct. 9. The first day has also been pushed back by nearly two weeks. The district is working with after-school service providers to offer childcare programs. Earlier this month, the superintendent said the district was planning to start school with a hybrid learning model.
Elmhurst School District 205, in the west suburbs of Chicago, plans to reopen all eight elementary schools for in-person classes on Aug. 24. Middle school and high school students will be in school buildings two days a week. Parents can opt out of in person learning or busing. Remote learning will be synchronous.
Stevenson High School District 125, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, plans to continue remote learning in the fall. Small groups of students will be allowed on campus for special education services, sports and club activities. As early as last week, the district had planned for a hybrid learning option.
Springfield School District 186 will offer families a choice between hybrid and all remote learning. Pre-kindergarten students will attend in-person classes four days a week. Elementary, middle and high school students could be in school buildings anywhere from two to four days a week, depending on enrollment numbers.
Monday, July 20
Evanston Township High School District 202 will begin remote classes on August 17 until further notice. The district reversed its earlier plans to offer a hybrid learning model. The superintendent has emphasized fall classes will challenge students and will not be a continuation of the spring.
Franklin Park School District 84, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will offer hybrid learning, where students will alternate between in-person and remote learning. D84 is partnering with the local park district to provide remote learning in a supervised format. The park district will offer an inexpensive remote learning day camp during school hours, as well as a childcare option in the late afternoon.
Barrington School District 220, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, is giving parents an option between in-person and remote learning for the fall. Students who opt into in-person classes will be provided with two masks. The superintendent has also suggested a possibility of tents outside the building so students can take a break from wearing masks all day.
Lincolnshire District 103, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, will offer families an option between all remote classes and in-person classes five days a week.
Schaumburg Community Consolidated School District 54, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, is asking families to choose between in-person and remote instruction. School nurses will review the circumstances of students with chronic medical conditions. English learners will continue to meet virtually.
Friday, July 17
Chicago Public School District 299 plans for pre-kindergarten and some special education students to take in-person classes full time. High school juniors and seniors will take all their classes online, while other students will participate in hybrid learning. Students will be grouped into “pods” of about 15 and will be in the school building two days a week. All can also opt out of in-person learning.
Downers Grove School District 58 tentatively plans for all students to be in school buildings five days a week. Students will be grouped into cohorts of 14 to 19 students, on the basis of factors like special needs, accelerated placement and foreign language. The district is developing an online learning option for students.
Valley View Community Unit School District 365U is planning for a hybrid of remote and in-person learning, with an option for remote learning.
Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 plans for a blended learning model, where school days will be shortened and classes will operate on A/B schedule. Students will take both asynchronous and synchronous learning. Families can also opt out of blended learning.
Thursday, July 16
Rockford Public Schools District 205, plans for some in-person classes and some remote classes. Pre-kindergarten students will attend in-person classes full-time, with a remote option only available to children with medical exemptions. Elementary school students can either attend in-person classes five days a week or all virtual classes. Middle and high school students can either opt into a hybrid model or all remote instruction.
Plainfield District 202, which serves over 26,000 students, plans to start the school year on Aug. 24 with all remote learning and could transition into hybrid learning, if COVID-19 numbers improve.
Oswego School District 308, in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, has planned a return to school based on grade levels. Pre-school, elementary and junior high school students will take in-person classes five days a week, with shortened school days. High school students will follow a hybrid learning model. Students of all grade levels can select a remote learning option. Elementary schools will also offer a daycare program.
Will County School District 92 will offer families a choice between all remote learning or a hybrid of in-person and remote learning. Students who participate in the hybrid model will attend in-person classes two days a week. All students will take remote classes once a week, in order for schools to do a deep clean.
Leyden Consolidated High School District 212 is planning for hybrid learning in the fall. Students will be split into two groups and will attend school for half days two days a week. Schools will closed on Wednesdays and on weekends for deep cleaning.
Wednesday, July 15
New Trier Township High School District 203, in Northfield, will offer blended learning, with the school day extended by 15 minutes to give students and teachers more flexibility. All classrooms will have plexiglass barriers, should teachers need to confer with students closer than six feet. The district will resume in-person instruction through a phased increase in capacity, with all remote learning the first week and up to a fifty percent capacity by September 15.
Community Unit School District 300, based in Algonquin, plans to have in-person instruction in elementary and middle schools. The district will offer multiple periods for recess throughout the day for elementary school students. High school students will operate on an A/B schedule, with half of the students attending in-person on any given day. Families can opt into remote instruction by July 31.
Oswego School District 308 has planned a return to school based on grade levels. Pre-school and elementary students will take in-person classes five days a week, with shortened school days. Junior high school students will attend courses over a two-day period and will take physical education classes remotely. High school students will follow a hybrid learning model.
Joliet Township High School District 204 will offer families a choice between remote learning and a hybrid learning model, where students attend in-person classes once a week. Students who need additional support can attend frequently.
Oak Park and River Forest High School plans for all students to participate in virtual learning, but are proposing a significantly different curriculum from the spring.
Niles Township High School District 219 tentatively plans for students to start school with remote learning on August 17 but will phase students into the building after Labor Day as part of a hybrid learning model.
Tuesday, July 14
Naperville District 203, in the west suburbs of Chicago, plans to enroll students in a hybrid mode of instruction, where students will be split into A/B groups. Parents and guardians can opt students for full remote instruction, but must notify the district before July 22. Students eligible for transportation will be surveyed about ridership.
Indian Prairie District 204, in the west suburbs of Chicago, plans to operate on an A/B/C schedule where students will receive two days of in-person instruction and two days of remote instruction. Students with special needs can attend school four days a week. Parents can opt students into entirely remote instruction.
St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 tentatively plans to offer elementary school students full, in-person instruction with shortened school days. Middle school and high school students will receive a mix of in-person and remote learning.
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 will reopen school with a hybrid learning model. Students will be split into two groups and receive two days of in-person instruction. Students with IEPs can attend school all four days students are on campus.
Monday, July 13
Barrington School District 220, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, is offering families a choice between returning to in-person instruction and opting out to continue with remote learning.
Glenbrook High School District 225, in the northern suburbs of Chicago, has tentatively suggested it will continue with virtual learning.
Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 is still working on their reopening plan, but expects to share their plans with the community Friday after the district’s board meeting on Thursday.
Glenview School District 34 has been discussing the possibilities of in-person instruction, remote learning, and a hybrid option. The fall planning board will submit their recommendations to the district’s board of education Monday evening.
North Shore School District 112, located in Highland Park, will reopen schools on September 30, two weeks later than planned. Details still need to be worked out, but Superintendent Michael Lubfeld has said the district hopes to “restart schools in-person to the extent possible.” The district plans to rent air conditioning units and tents for lunch and physical education classes. Bus services will be provided with capacity restrictions.
Elgin School District U-46, the second largest district in the state, is working to develop a hybrid model of in-person and remote learning, with students attending in-person on a regular — but not daily — basis. Superintendent Tony Sanders has said students will be assessed on performance standards that align more closely with in-person expectations.
Belleville Township High School District 201 tentatively plans to operate in-person at half capacity. Students will be split into two groups, which will alternate between in-person and remote learning. Families can opt to continue with entirely remote learning for the semester.
O’Fallon Township High School District 203 will offer a hybrid of in-person and remote instruction in the mornings. Families choose to take all classes remotely. Students who are at-risk or struggle with remote learning could be invited to attend in-person classes all four days a week with administrative approval.
Lisle Community Unit School District 202, in the west suburbs of Chicago, will return to school in the fall with in-person instruction five days a week. Classes will be split into groups of 10 to 15 students and the district will use two old facilities to help facilitate social distancing.
Community Consolidated School District 15, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, has established tentative plans for the 2020-21 academic year on the basis of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan. If the state remains in Phase 4, parents can opt their children into either in-person instruction or remote learning. If the state retreats a phase, all instruction will be remote.
