A majority of parents in the Evanston-Skokie school district plan to send their children to in-person school this fall if they can … but it’s a small majority.
School District 65 says about 55% of families have chosen the in-person option, while about 45% selected remote learning via computer.
All Illinois schools went to e-learning in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic and stayed that way for the remainder of the semester.
Spokesperson Melissa Messinger says the district is still working on school-by-school specifics for the parental choices, although everything is “preliminary information subject to change based on health conditions, capacities, and staffing considerations.”
The district opens with remote learning for all students on Aug. 27. On Sept. 29, in-person school begins for those who want it, assuming the COVID-19 situation allows.
“We will not open our schools for any of our children or staff for in-person learning until it is safe to do so,” Messenger says.
District 65 has 8,000 students, pre-kindergarten though eighth grade.
Evanston Township High School District 202 will start school Monday with remote learning and has set no target date for offering in-person classes.
ETHS administrators have said it’s all contingent on the virus, but it’s likely remote learning will be used for the entire first semester at minimum.