Chicago City Wire

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported approximately three million Illinoisans recently caught COVID-19 — days before Illinois schools begin the new academic year.

“There's no doubt that the pandemic has disrupted our state’s education system,” Rep. Brad Stephens wrote on Facebook. “It’s time to renew our focus on providing Illinois students with high-quality education and the essentials for a successful future.”

Total enrollment in pre-K-12 schools in Illinois declined by 3.6%, or roughly 70,000 students, during the 2020-2021 school year, according to Capitol News Illinois. Chronic absenteeism increased during that school year, with 22.8% of all Illinois students missing 10% or more of all school days.

“We know from national studies from the (CDC) that school districts serving primarily black and Hispanic students provided the least access to in-person learning last year,” said Brenda Dixon, ISBE’s research and evaluation officer. “We suspect that less access to in-person learning contributed to lower engagement among black and Hispanic students.”

The number of students who exhibited grade level competence in math and English language arts decreased, with 17.8% fewer students demonstrating proficiency in math and 16.6% fewer students demonstrating proficiency in English.

School districts that offered more in-person learning saw smaller declines in enrollment than schools that used mostly remote learning, Illinois Policy reported.

In March, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced a $17 million grant to establish a supplemental learning program for students impacted by learning loss due to school closures, according to a release. The program will be geared specifically toward low-income students.

A UNICEF report from October 2021 found that government-mandated lockdowns and school closures negatively impacted children, leading to more fear, stress, anxiety, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, loss of learning, and poor physical activity and sleeping habits.