Concerns over exposure to the highly transmittable novel coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, have led to closures, cancellations and quarantines across Chicago. Schools were among the first buildings to be closed due to reported exposures among students, parents and administrative staff.
Universities across the state, where students live in close quarters as well as attending classes together, quickly began closing residence halls and announced plans to pivot to “remote learning” for the foreseeable future.
We’ll be updating this page with all new reports of school closures, cancellations, or other interruptions in and around Chicago in response to the outbreak.
As some schools more to e-learning or “remote learning,” here’s what that might look like and how it could work.
Chicago schools
- All Illinois schools were closed March 13 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s orders until March 30.
- St. Margaret of Scotland School on the South Side was closed March 13 after a student tested positive for COVID-19. It will remain closed until at least March 23.
- Students and staff of Vaughn Occupational High School — as well as any visitors since late February — have been advised to quarantine themselves at home for nearly two weeks after a case of coronavirus was reported in a staff member Friday.
- The Archdiocese of Chicago canceled all classes starting Monday.
Suburban schools
- Evanston Township High School District 202 and Evanston/Skokie School District 65 will both be closing for a month in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus, starting “e-learning” March 16.
- Northfield school districts, New Trier High School, Wilmette District 39, Deerfield District 109, Lake Forest District 67 and Stevenson High School, along with west suburban Oak Park’s public schools.
- Lombard Elementary District 44 canceled classes for all eight of its schools Wednesday after learning that someone with coronavirus attended one of their volleyball games last week.
- Loyola Academy in Wilmette canceled classes Monday after administrators learned a student had contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.
Colleges and Universities
- The University of Illinois, Illinois State University, DePaul and Northwestern have all announced plans to suspend in-person classes.
- All undergraduate and graduate classes at the University of Chicago will shift off-campus to “remote learning” beginning March 30, as will the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.
- City Colleges of Chicago suspended classes for one week starting March 16, except for fully online classes.
- Northeastern Illinois University has suspended face-to-face instruction through the end of the spring semester, according to school spokesman Mike Hines.
Related cancellations and closures
- Study-abroad programs in Italy and South Korea, both countries facing growing outbreaks of the virus, have been suspended by the University of Illinois, Loyola University and Northwestern University. Illinois State University has issued a “strong recommendation” to its 15 students in Italy to leave the country.
- The Illinois High School Association canceled the entire boys basketball state tournament.
- It’s official: March Madness is canceled. The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments have been canceled as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
- Naval Station Great Lakes in north suburban Chicago will prohibit guests from attending graduation ceremonies starting March 13, instead moving to live-streamed the events online.
