CPS CEO 'very comfortable' with return to schools next week as COVID-19 spikes but says individual

CPS CEO ‘very comfortable’ with return to schools next week as COVID-19 spikes but says individual classrooms may shift to remote learning if cases climb higher


Chicago Public Schools is ready to welcome students back for in-person learning Monday amid a “major surge” in city COVID-19 cases, school and health officials said Thursday, as the Chicago Teachers Union called on the district to add more safety measures, including a requirement that staff members and students test negative for COVID-19 before the end of winter break.

“I feel very comfortable with us starting on the 3rd,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said at Thursday’s news conference.

“We are going to respond to the data. So as we see cases rising, as we see them in the schools, you will see more classrooms transition to remote (learning). That is actually a more conservative approach than almost any other large school district that I’ve seen in the country.”

Martinez said CPS expects “cases to be high” as students return from a two-week break with the city, state and country experiencing spikes. The district reported its highest daily new case total on Dec. 18, the first day of winter vacation, with 173 students and 121 adults testing positive, according to CPS data.

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