CPS Set To Go Mask Optional Next Week As Coronavirus Cases Wane

CHICAGO — With coronavirus cases down and vaccination rates rising, Chicago Public Schools officials plan to make mask-wearing optional for staff and students starting March 14.

"CPS was one of the first to require universal masking in schools, and we would not be moving to a mask-optional model unless the data and our public health experts indicated that it is safe for our school communities," CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said. “We will support our staff and students as we enter this new phase in the pandemic and continue to move forward together.”

The district's 64-percent vaccination rate for kids between 12 and 17 years old who have at least one vaccine shot is near the national average of 68 percent. About 47 percent of CPS students between age 5 and 11 have had a one vaccination shot, which is higher than the national average of 33 percent. Together, about 56 percent of vaccine eligible students have had at least one dose, 49 percent are fully vaccinated and 91 percent of district staff is fully vaccinated, CPS officials said.

In a March 4 letter to Martinez and Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey said if district officials "moves toward making masks optional without bargaining to do so safely, this refusal to honor our agreement will have consequences."

"The current debate around masking is more than just a binary discussion of masks on or off. Our Union, your office, CPS, and the entire city have all been a part of intense and complex negotiations to keep people alive and safe, and our schools open and operational. As we look toward spring break and the final quarter of the school year, we must anticipate the climate to come and make contingencies that will maintain our right to fight for safety," Sharkey wrote

On Monday, CPS officials said Chicago is at a "low risk" for coronavirus by every metric, daily case counts (191) and test positivity (.8 percent) have dipped to their lowest levels since July 2021. CPS coronavirus screening test positivity rate is .14 percent, officials said in a statement.

District officials are expected to share more information on health and safety protocols before masking becomes optional next week.

"The District has remained responsive to change throughout the pandemic and we must continue to remain nimble and pivot if the health data changes," Martinez said. "Our staff and families must be confident that we will act quickly and implement safety procedures as needed."