CPS school closings: ‘One of the largest mass school shutdowns in U.S. history’

By now you’ve probably heard that Chicago Public Schools will be closing 54 schools – and 61 buildings total.

By now you’’ve probably heard that Chicago Public Schools will be closing 54 schools – and 61 buildings total.

This decision comes as the district stares down a projected billion-dollar budget deficit for the coming school year – and after Chicago Teachers Union, or CTU, members were granted pay increases in the aftermath of the CTU strike last year. Before the school closings were announced, these pay increases were estimated to cost an extra $74 million a year, according to the school district. CPS teachers already rake in about $76,000 a year on average.

School officials say that these closures are needed due to declining enrollment, shifting demographics and the looming budget deficit.

The schools to be shuttered make up nearly 13 percent of the total number of schools in the district, making this one of the most sweeping school shutdowns in American history, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The Chicago Tribune also said:

“…“…the cutbacks at low-performing and under-utilized schools announced Thursday will help save $560 million over the next decade. At the same time, however, they estimate the cost of upgrading receiving schools and enhanced security at $233 million, meaning the shutdowns actually figure to be an added expense in the short term.””

“… “… Another 11 facilities were targeted for what in educator-speak is called “co-locations,” essentially existing schools put under one roof. Some, but not all of those, will also involve building shutdowns.””

Below is a list from Crain’s Chicago Business that details the closures:

• Altgeld Elementary will be closed and students moved to Wentworth Elementary.
• Armstrong Elementary on W. Harrison will be closed and merged with Leland Elementary, which will be relocated a half mile to the east.
• Attuckus Elementary will be merged with Beethoven Elementary, over three years.
• Banneker Elementary wil be closed and students shifted to Mays Elementary, which will be relocated to the building in which Banneker Elementary now is housed.
• Bethune Elementary will be closed and students shifted to Gregory Elementary.
• Bontemps Elementary will be closed with students moved to Nicholson Technology Academy.
• Calhoun Elementary will be closed and students moved to Cather Elementary.
• Canter Middle will close, with students moved to Harte Elementary and Ray Elementary.
• Duprey Elementary and Von Humboldt Elementary will be closed. Students will be moved to Diego Elementary, which will operate in its current building and the Duprey/Von Humboldt building.
• Delano Elementary will be merged with Melody Elementary, but Melody will operate out of the Delano building.
• Dumas Technology Academy will merge with Wadsworth Elementary, but Wadsworth will relocate to the Dumas building
• Emett Elementary will close, with students moved to DePriest and Ellington Elementary Schools
• Ericson Elementary will close, with students sent to Sumner Elementary.
• Fermi Elementary will merge into South Shore Fine Arts
• Garfield Park Elementary will close, with students sent to Faraday Elementary
• Garvey Elementary will close and students sent to Mount Vernon Elementary
• Goldblatt Elementary will close and students be sent to Heffernan Elementary
• Goodlow Elementary will merge with Earle Elementary, but the enlartged Earle will operate out of Goodlow’s building.
• Henson Elementary will close and students moved to Hughes, C Elementary
• Herbert Elementary will merge with Dett Elementary, but the newly enlarged school will operate out of the old Herbert building.
• Jackson Elementary will close and be merged into Fort Dearborn Elementary
• Key Elementary will close and students sent to Ellington Elementary
• King Elementary will be closed and students sent to Jensen Elementary
• Kohn Elementary will be closed, and students sent to Cullen, L. Hughes and Lavizzo Elementary Schools
• Lafayette Elementary will close and students be moved to Chopin Elementary
• Lawrence Elementary will be merged into Burnham Elementary, but the enlarged school will operate out of the current Burnham building
• Manierre Elementary will close and students sent to Jenner Elementary
• Marconi Elementary will close and students sent to Tilton Elementary
• Mayo Elementary will merge with Wells Elementary, but the enlarged school will operate out of the current Mayo building
• Morgan Elementary will be closed and students sent to Ryder Elementary
• Overton Elementary will close and students be sent to Mollison Elementary
• Owens Elementary will close and students sent to Gompers Elementary
• Paderewski Elementary will close and students sent to two elementary schools, Castellanos and Cardenas
• Parkman Elementary will close and students sent to Sherwood Elementary
• Peabody Elementary will close and students sent to Otis Elementary
• Pershing Middle School will close and students sent to Pershing Elementary. The two schools also are known as Pershing West and Pershing East
• Pope Elementary will close and students be moved to Johnson Elementary
• Ross Elementary will close and students be sent to Dulles Elementary
• Ryerson Elementary will merge with Ward Elementary, but the enlarged school will operate out of the current Ryerson building.
• Sexton Elementary will merge with Fiske Elementary, but the enlarged school will operate out of the Sexton building.
• Songhai Elementary will close and students move to Curtin Elementary
• Stewart Elementary will close and students move to Brennermann Elementary
• Stockton Elementary will merge with Courtenay Elementary, but the enlarged school will operate out of the current Stockton building.
• Trumbull Elementary will close, with students moved to three elementary schools: Chappell, McPherson and McCutcheon
• West Pullman will close and students moved to Haley Elementary
• Williams Elementary and Williams Middle Schools will be closed and students go to Drake Elementary, with the enlarged school operating out of the current Drake building.
• Woods Elementary will close and students be moved to Bass Elementary
• Yale Elementary will close and students be moved to Harvard Elementary