Chicago Public Schools to begin holding in-person classes for select students

As school districts across the country continue to grapple with how best to teach students during the pandemic, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) plans to hold in-person classes for some students starting this month. 

Pre-K students as well as some special education students will begin in-person learning on Jan. 11, while those in grades K–8 who have opted for in-person instruction are scheduled to return on Feb. 1. There is no set date for high-schoolers to resume in-person classes.

CPS is not alone among the country's largest districts to bring back a non-virtual option. Select students at NYC Public Schools were able to return to campuses last month after the district abruptly shut down earlier in the fall as the city's COVID-19 cases rose. Meanwhile, around the same time, Los Angeles Unified School District announced it was shutting down all in-person learning due to a surge of COVID-19 in the area.