Evanston/Skokie School District 65 will not return to in-person learning on Nov. 16 as previously planned, Superintendent Devon Horton announced Friday. 

Citing increasing positivity rates for COVID-19 in Evanston and across the state, Horton said it would not be in students’ best interests to return to in-person instruction. The earliest D65 students can now go back to school is Jan. 19. 

The district previously committed to release its plans on a trimesterly basis, but in the release, Horton said the district “cannot wait” until the start of the third trimester for students to return to the classroom. Instead, if conditions in the region improve, students may be permitted to return to school after winter break and a 14-day quarantine 

Horton wrote in the release that the district anticipates releasing a plan before fall break that elaborates on capacity plans and staff returns. 

“We cannot expect school or our lives to look or feel ‘normal’ especially under current conditions,” Horton wrote in the release. “I am proud of the way our community has stood together and navigated the unprecedented challenges that we face in the wake of COVID-19. And, I appreciate the flexibility of our staff, students, and families to adapt to changing health conditions, changing plans, and evolving guidance.”

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @jacobnfulton

Related stories:

— ETHS to remain virtual through all of first semester, citing high COVID-19 positivity rates in region

— D65 to begin phased return to in-person learning on Nov. 16