Chicago Public Schools Announces All CPS Employees Eligible to Sign-Up for Vaccination at CPS Sites

CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced today that all CPS employees, as well as vendors who regularly work in schools  — more than 52,000 people — have been offered the opportunity to sign up for vaccination at CPS sites. Due to efforts at the federal, state and city level to both prioritize the vaccination of school staff and increase the availability of vaccines through healthcare providers, pharmacies and government-run sites, the district is able to offer all CPS employees the opportunity to receive the vaccine. 

“In order for vaccines to truly be the light at the end of the long and dark tunnel we've been in for the past year, we must make every effort to get them to those who need it most—especially our essential workers," said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. "With vaccination appointments now available to all CPS employees, we will be able to not only enhance our ongoing, in-person learning mitigation strategies, but make even more progress in our citywide goal of fully reopening and recovering from the pandemic.”

With vaccine access improving, the district is launching a campaign to encourage all CPS employees to get vaccinated, whether through the CPS sites, pharmacies, doctors offices or government sites. Today’s announcement comes one year after all schools in the state of Illinois suspended in-person learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Exactly one year ago we were faced with unprecedented uncertainty and today, we are on the horizon of a much brighter future with all of our staff eligible to be vaccinated and students learning in classrooms throughout the city,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “I am extremely grateful to the Biden Administration who has greatly increased the availability of vaccines and our state and local health officials who have prioritized teachers and school-based staff.”

Vaccination Progress

With the understanding that many employees have sought and received vaccinations through non-CPS sites, the district recently issued a survey to gather an understanding of how many employees still need an opportunity to get vaccinated, how many received it through other avenues, and how many were not planning to take the vaccine. The district will continue to offer 1,500 first dose vaccinations per week and additional second-dose appointments at its sites, and encourages all CPS employees to seek vaccination wherever is most convenient for them. 

As of March 15, 2021, approximately 41 percent (19,453 of 47,448 employees) have responded to the vaccine survey, which is critical to gathering a greater understanding of who has and has not received the vaccine and who still needs it. The Chicago Board of Education in February passed a measure requiring CPS employees to provide this information and the district will continue to remind employees to submit this information at their earliest convenience. 

While the district only has a partial picture of who has received the vaccine outside of CPS sites, the data, which draws from CPS vaccination sites and survey reports shows that 14,000 CPS employees have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. Given the survey response rate, the total number of vaccinated staff is assumed to be significantly higher than the reported number at this time. 

Key Stats: 

— 59 percent of CPS employees have not yet responded to the vaccination survey; the information below combines data from CPS vaccination sites with survey results.  

— While not a complete picture, using the data available, at least 30 percent of CPS employees have received at least one vaccine shot as of March 15, 2021. 

*A small number of network staff who have been spending a majority of their time in schools were provided the opportunity to get vaccinated with the school-based administrators priority group. Additionally, in instances where vaccinations were available at the end of a vaccination clinic due to cancellations, there were instances where individuals who are categorized as central office employees may have been vaccinated. 

Chicago Public Schools serves 341,000 students in 638 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.