CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- There are indications K-12 students in Illinois will not be returning to their classrooms this academic year.
About two dozen states have already announced their schools would be closed for the rest of the academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears Illinois is lining up to join them.
Illinois Deputy Gov. Jesse Ruiz suggested Wednesday that in-person classroom instruction would not take place for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. He said a formal announcement is expected by the end of the week.
"We've applied and received a federal waiver to exempt all students from accountability assessments for one year, as soon as it became clear that suspension of in-person instruction would extend beyond the initial two-week announcement and most likely again through the end of the school year," Ruiz said.
Many districts including Chicago have begun some form of remote learning or e-learning programs.
Ruiz made the comment Wednesday during a College Board news conference, where an announcement was made about the cancellation of the SAT college entrance exam scheduled for June 6. The College Board announced new testing dates, with the first in August.
"There are things more important than tests," College Board CEO David Coleman said in a statement. "Our top priority is the health and well-being of students. The scientific evidence and guidance from public health officials is clear that encouraging students to gather in person in June would not be safe for them, their families or the adults involved. Already 20 states have closed their schools for the rest of the academic year."
Meanwhile, all current Illinois 11th-graders will be able to take the SAT test for free this fall. Confirmed SAT testing dates are Aug. 29, Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5. Students will be able to register for these dates by May.
