Evanston/Skokie School District 65 tentatively plans to begin a phased return to in-person classes as planned on Nov. 16, superintendent Devon Horton said in a Monday news release.

Previously, the district was scheduled to return to an optional hybrid format on Sept. 29, but the return to in-person instruction was postponed until the start of the second trimester because of health conditions in Cook County. Horton said any significant setbacks in county wide health conditions could still put a hold on in-person classes.

However, the return won’t incorporate all students at once — instead, pre-K through fifth graders will be making the first trips back. Students who are in second grade or younger, students with special education needs, beginning bilingual students, low income students and students in transitional living are all prioritized in the return to in-person instruction.

According to the news release, students with at least three of the aforementioned markers will be allowed to return to school. At this time, all middle school students will remain in remote learning, regardless of whether they fall under the priority categories.

“It remains our goal for every child to return this school year whose family indicated an in-person learning preference and look to bring the remainder of students back in the second phase,” Horton said in the release.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @jacobnfulton

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