Chalkbeat Chicago

Chicago Public Schools has tried to simplify the process for going to a school that’s different from your assigned neighborhood school.

The move to close its Downtown campus marks the latest blow to the charter network that specializes in serving Black boys on Chicago’s South and West Sides.

A Canada-based company the district hired started scouring public posts for threats and “cries for help” last month.

The move comes after the Chicago Board of Education voted to end its charter agreement with Urban Prep to operate two other campuses in Bronzeville and Englewood.

Infinity High school’s free tutoring program was run by two teachers. Then a group of juniors stepped up to pitch in.

The four-year expansion effort will be funded through City Colleges, the Pritzker Foundation, One Million Degrees and other private philanthropy. 

Chicago Public Schools received $25 million, the Noble Network of Charter Schools got $16 million, and LEARN Charter School Network will see $7 million. The grants have no restrictions.

The largest declines happened in the city’s charter schools and district-run campuses with majority Black student populations.

The measure would've temporarily withheld city money for some school projects if CPS officials didn’t show up. They rarely appear before aldermen in public meetings now.

“We’re talking about an unfolding humanitarian crisis of children and families who arrive with no shoes. That is on the daily at our schools and we’re supposed to make do?” a bilingual coordinator at a Humboldt Park school said.

CPS may be responsible for things like water bills, rent, summer programs and increased pension contributions — possibly adding up to tens of millions of dollars a year. 

The program trains students to mediate conflicts, support grieving classmates and bring peace and happiness to school by greeting peers at the front door and leaving celebratory birthday notes on lockers.

The campuses in Englewood and Bronzeville will remain open under CPS management, officials said. The district plans to keep teachers and staff at the school.

The graduation rate increased to 82.9 percent last year, up nearly 3 percent from the 2020-21 school year.

The schools have been beset by financial trouble and allegations of sexual misconduct from its founder, who resigned in August. CPS wants to keep the Englewood and Bronzeville campuses open under district management.

Chicago Public Schools’ vaccine sites will offer the updated vaccine this week. The district will alert families when the bivalent booster is available to 5- to 11-year-olds.

Despite being years behind on obligations to build more homes, the city’s public housing agency gets permission to sell, lease and swap its property in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Col. Daniel L. Baggio signed a severance agreement in March after an investigation by the school district’s watchdog exposed “systemic failures” regarding his oversight of JROTC. 

After 11 years of declining enrollment, Chicago Public Schools now serves 322,106 children, making it the nation’s fourth largest district after Miami-Dade County Public Schools, which serves 324,961 students.