Behind the CPS shutdown: What happens to high school athletics when a district shuts down?

The Amundsen boys basketball team gathers around head coach Nicolas White during Monday’s 47-34 win over North-Grand. (Jonathan Fernandez/Medill Reports)

By Jonathan Fernandez
Medill Reports

Currently all high school sports at Chicago Public Schools are on track to continue through the spring season without missing a beat, but that was up in the air during the recent CPS work stoppage.

On Jan. 4, the Chicago Teachers Union voted to work remotely instead of reporting for in-person instruction, closing the third-largest school district in the country. The union demanded that CPS leadership create a more robust COVID-19 testing policy. One thing it wanted to see was increased testing of students to stay ahead of outbreaks.

In this podcast, we spoke with high school athletic directors about what happens to high school athletics when an entire city school system shuts down because of a work stoppage.

 

North-Grand senior guard Alsee Matthews drives to the rim for a layup. (Jonathan Fernandez/Medill Reports)

 

Jonathan Fernandez is a graduate student specializing in sports media at Northwestern Medill. You can follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31.