School Districts In Multiple Chicago Suburbs Announce Plans To Close, Begin E-Learning Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

CHICAGO (CBS) -- School districts in multiple Chicago suburbs – particularly in northern Cook County and Lake County –announced plans to close Thursday night due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Schools in Evanston and Winnetka announced plans to close next week earlier in the day. New Trier Township High School and Winnetka public elementary schools have canceled all classes on Friday and will switch to remote learning next week. Evanston schools will be open Friday, but will switch to remote learning on Monday, March 16.

Other districts that announced Thursday night that they were closing included:

• Wilmette District 39 schools are closed beginning Friday, March 13. Remote learning for students will begin on March 16 and continue until further notice.

• Avoca School District 37 schools, also in Wilmette, will have no-attendance days Friday, March 13, and Monday, March 16. Remote learning will begin Tuesday, March 17.

• At Kenilworth District 38, the Joseph Sears School, remote learning for students will begin on March 16 and continue until further notice.

• All Northfield Township school districts will close at the end of the day on Friday, March 13, and remain closed until at least March 30 – along with Northbrook and Glenview park districts.

• Glenbrook North High School, based in Northbrook, will be open Friday, March 13 – though absences those days will be excused, and then close for a week through Friday, March 20. Spring break will occur from March 23 through March 27 as earlier planned, and then e-learning days will begin Monday, March 30 and go on until further notice.

• North Shore School District 112, based in Highland Park, will close all of its schools immediately. Their projected return date is Tuesday, April 14, after spring break, but that date may change given the dynamic situation.

• Township High School District 113, which covers Highland Park and Deerfield high schools, will be holding e-learning until Tuesday, April 14. On Thursday evening, a suspected coronavirus case was reported to the Deerfield High School administration – and while the Illinois Department of Public Health has not confirmed it, classes at both high schools are canceled beginning Friday.

• Deerfield Public Schools District 109 schools are closed until further notice. The closure begins Friday, March 13, and e-learning will begin on Monday, March 16.

• Lake Forest Schools District 67 schools will close beginning on Monday, March 16, and will institute e-learning.

• Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire will be closed beginning Friday, March 13 – which will be a non-school day – and e-learning days will begin on Monday, March 16. Spring break will be held from March 23-27, with a tentative plan to return to class on Monday, April 6.

• Aptakisic-Tripp Community Consolidated School District 102 schools – based in Buffalo Grove – will be closed beginning Monday, March 16 for three weeks.

• In the western suburbs, Oak Park River Forest High School will be canceling classes for Friday, March 16, and implement e-learning days beginning on Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 20. Spring break will be held the following week.