MARCH 31 DIOCESE UPDATE

Dear Catholic School Parents and Guardians,

You may have heard that Gov. Pritzker has announced the extension of the statewide school closure through April 30, 2020. As you know, the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago have been temporarily closed as a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. We are not yet certain when our schools will reopen. However, as we would not reopen our schools before the end of the Governor’s statewide school closure order, you should plan on our school buildings remaining closed until at least April 30.

In the meantime, our Catholic educators continue to work hard to implement e-learning and alternative learning for our students. I am extremely grateful for the efforts of our students and families to continue the learning process while our buildings are closed. I have been very impressed by the quality of e-learning/alternative learning happening, and know that our dedicated Catholic educators will continue to provide support. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to view the Cardinal’s message to Catholic school students and families.

In addition, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has announced that the state is suspending the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), the standardized test for public schools in Illinois, this school year. Catholic school students receiving tax credit scholarships are required to participate in the IAR and will not now need to do so this spring.

Please be aware that the Office of Catholic Schools has decided to suspend the administration of the ACT Aspire assessment, the standardized test for our Catholic elementary schools, for the 2019/20 school year.

We do hope to return to regular classes once it has been deemed safe to do so. The archdiocese is in frequent contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local and state health departments, and other agencies, and will make a decision about reopening our schools after the statewide school closure order is lifted. I sincerely appreciate your flexibility and understanding during this challenging time. May God bless the efforts of our health care workers and keep all of our Catholic school families healthy and safe.

Yours in Christ,

Jim Rigg, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Catholic Schools Archdiocese of Chicago

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