Yana Kunichoff, Chalkbeat Chicago

CPS budgeted more than $1 million for its COVID-19 notification and contact tracing system, which includes a new district-level team and several online reporting programs.

One week after Chicago struck a fragile peace with its teachers union, fault lines have emerged over who gets to work from home, for how long, and why.

CPS released data that showed the majority of white families reported to school buildings as expected so far, while nearly half of Black families chose to stay home. About 62% of Latino students reported to campuses.

For some, reopening doors has caused them to fear for their safety. For others, it’s been a relief, injecting normalcy into difficult times.

The Chicago Teachers Union has fiercely opposed reopening schools but the mayor and schools chief Janice Jackson have persisted with their plans to re-launch in-person learning next week.

The figures paint a stark picture of the ongoing drop in engagement around LSCs, the mini-democracies that are given authority over budgets and principal hiring in most Chicago schools.

The union released its list of demands Thursday, and it’s the most detailed look yet at what it would take to get union leaders to support reopening schools.

The district has announced staggered reopening dates for students in kindergarten to eighth grade starting in January.

Noble, which before had promised to “sweat the small stuff” on discipline, got rid of its school uniforms and a controversial demerit policy that punished students for small infractions. But can the changes stick?

The district is laying out several different plans and time frames for an eventual return, but will rely on schools to create specific plans.

The district and teachers union clashed over a pair of reopening surveys and school building inspections.

The new hybrid voting option will ensure mail-in ballots are sent to teachers, school staff and parents, while still offering an in-person voting option for those groups.

The phased reopening plan comes as CPS enrollment has dropped by 15,000 students.

Chicago schools officials have met regularly with the Chicago Teachers Union representatives, but they haven’t agreed on a road map or even on the need for one.

Chicago International Charter Schools and Acero, which each oversee more than a dozen campuses, surveyed parents and found a majority preferred to continue learning remotely.

The union argued school clerks shouldn’t be required to work in-person if another option is possible, and that bringing in employees violated the contractual promise for a safe working environment.

CPS said 49,000 students failed to log into classrooms on the first day of remote learning, a figure it has now winnowed down to fewer than 6,900 after expanded outreach efforts.

Since buildings closed in the spring, parents of children with disabilities have sounded the alarm, saying they aren’t able to meet the complex needs of their children the way a raft of school professionals could.

Without the excitement of seeing friends in person or the anticipation of sitting in a new teacher’s classroom, some students are struggling to stay focused.

Attendance rates varied widely, with some schools reaching upwards of 95% of students participating on the first day, while others reported closer to 60% of students.