Boston and Chicago send students back home for online learning

• San Francisco public school officials decided Wednesday not to bring students back into the classroom before the end of the calendar year, in part due to limited coronavirus testing capacity.

Why it matters: The nation's largest school systems went virtual this fall, and are juggling a slew of social, economic, health and political factors when it comes to resuming classes for in-person learning — and keeping them open.

• Early data collected on smaller school districts shows schools so far have not contributed to community transmission.

The other side: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo released updated maps Wednesday that clear 120 schools in New York City to reopen of 169 that were initially closed, Chalkbeat reports.