The Chicago Public School Board wants to build a new high school for Chicago South Side.

This $150 million project is one of the most controversial developments in the area. The school is designed to accommodate 1,200 students, with about 30% of them being Black. It aims to serve as a feeder school for nine surrounding elementary schools: Armour, National Teachers Academy, Drake, Healy, Ward J, Holden, Smyth, Haines, and South Loop.

Despite the district’s intentions, the project has faced significant opposition and scrutiny. State Representative Theresa Mah and various community groups have expressed concerns over the use of public housing land for the school. Critics argue that the district has not adequately engaged with the community or considered alternative sites. The financial aspects of the land purchase have also been questioned, with appraisals for the Wabash land varying significantly, ultimately costing CPS $10.3 million​​.

First, let me answer the question: Why is the CPS planning a new high school in Chinatown?

Why are they planning to create a new high school in Chinatown?

Community leaders, residents, and organizers have, for a very long time, pushed for a new high school specifically to serve Armour Square, Bridgeport, Bronzeville, Chinatown and South Loop.

The Chicago Public School Board's plan to build a new high school on the South Side at 24th and South State Street offers several significant benefits to the community. This $120 million project addresses the long-standing demand for a community high school in the Near South Side, providing much-needed options for local students. This new high school will alleviate that burden, making education more accessible for families in the area.

A. More Options

Near South Side residents and elected officials have long advocated for a community high school, citing the lack of options as a major issue. Many students are forced to travel up to two hours to attend schools in other neighborhoods, which disrupts their daily lives and adds unnecessary stress. The proposed high school at 24th and South State Street aims to provide a local option, reducing travel time and making education more accessible for the growing population in the Near South Side​.

There are currently no high schools west of Bronzeville that adequately serve the Near South Side's expanding population. The new high school will address this gap, offering more educational opportunities for students who are currently underserved. 

The new high school will significantly benefit families by reducing the financial strain of long-distance schooling. With a local high school, parents can enroll their children closer to home, saving money on gas, food, and potential dorm fees. This convenience will also allow students to engage more fully in their education and extracurricular activities, fostering a more supportive and stable community environment​.

B. Address the growing population's needs

While several South Side Chicago neighborhoods have seen a decline in population, areas like Chinatown, Bridgeport, and the South Loop have experienced significant growth. Over the past 20 years, these communities have at least doubled in size, increasing the demand for local educational facilities. 

The influx of families into these neighborhoods means that more children need access to education. Existing high schools in the vicinity are overwhelmed, forcing parents to send their children to schools far from home. This situation is both inconvenient and costly for families, as they have to spend more on transportation and other associated expenses. The proposed high school at 24th and South State Street aims to address these issues by providing a local option for education​.

Opposition to the proposed development

Local activists, including the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO), Lugenia Burns Hope Center, and Raise Your Hand Illinois, are demanding that the city move the planned high school elsewhere or abandon the project entirely. 

a. The Proposal is incomplete

The Civic Federation has voiced strong opposition because of the lack of adequate justification for raising property taxes by $140 million, reaching the maximum 5 percent permitted under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL). This tax increase is particularly burdensome for taxpayers already under significant financial strain. Critics argue that CPS has not provided a complete proposal for the new high school. This incomplete proposal raises concerns about the district's fiscal responsibility and the impact on taxpayers. 

b. the community was left out of the planning process

The lack of consideration towards the community has brought up further issues. They argue that the district moved forward with plans without adequately consulting the residents who would be most affected by the new school. This exclusion has led to a significant loss of trust between the community and CPS.

Families, the main stakeholders in schools, demanded more opportunities to participate in decision-making for school districts. Rachel Weber, professor of urban planning and policy at University of Illinois at Chicago, said that the trauma of the school closures really brought home to people how little control they had over these kinds of decisions that had huge effects on their lives.

Focus groups with local school councils and community groups have been paused for several months, creating frustration among parents. Kevin Robinson, a CPS parent and Local School Council (LSC) chair at Holden Elementary in Bridgeport, said that the planning process has felt alienating. Parents like Robinson support the construction of a new school but oppose the use of public housing land for the project​.

The opinions of parents have been overlooked throughout the planning stages. Decisions have predominantly been influenced by political figures and organizations like the governor, General Assembly, mayor’s office, and Chicago Housing Authority (CHA).

Additionally, the LSC suggested that CPS should increase the school's capacity from 1,200 to at least 2,400 students to accommodate future developments like The 78, which could add up to 10,000 residential units within the school’s boundaries. By engaging the community and allowing them to take ownership of the project, Robinson believes CPS can energize and unite the community, fostering a sense of involvement and commitment to the school’s success​

Another main opposition to the project is former Chicago Board of Education member Dwayne Truss. Truss is a West Side activist who spent many years fighting against closing schools and the opening of charter schools. He is not necessarily against a new high school, but is disappointed in the lack of community engagement. 

He said, “It is like, ‘what is the big secret?’ Why was there a barrier to having this conversation? I will say that was a big factor in destroying trust. And if you are going to destroy trust with board members, how are you going to have trust with the public?”

The opposition to the high school project has gained significant support. Key allies include Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez of the 25th Ward, People Matter co-founder Angela Lin, and State Representative Theresa Mah. Mah promised to ask Governor JB Pritzker to withhold the $50 million in state funding for the project. Critics argue that the high school will be built on Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) land originally designated for affordable apartments. With 120,000 people on the CHA waiting list and a high rate of homelessness, many community members believe affordable housing should be prioritized over the new school.

c. The high school will be on Chicago Housing Authority land where the public housing once stood. 

Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) residents have raised significant concerns about the site chosen by CPS for the new South Side high school. They point out that the land within the South Bridge development was initially earmarked for affordable apartments. To date, 206 affordable housing units have been completed in this area. 

Even those in favor of building a new high school argue that it should be located on a different site. Grace Chan McKibben, executive director of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, advocates for The 78 as a more suitable location. She explains that The 78 would be more accessible to students from nearby communities and better reflect the needs of the diverse population. Another proposed site is a plot of land between 17th and 18th Streets and Canal and Stewart Avenues. These locations are believed to better serve the needs of the local student population without displacing potential affordable housing units.

Additionally, some community members have proposed repurposing existing schools to meet the demand for a new high school. One suggestion is to convert Jones College Prep into a neighborhood school. This approach would utilize existing educational infrastructure and minimize the impact on affordable housing plans. 

d. new schools would lead to enrollment losses at nearby campuses.

There are three public high schools located between the South Loop and Bronzeville: Jones College Prep, Dunbar Vocational, and Wendell Phillips Academy. Jones College Prep is a selective-enrollment school, drawing students from across the city based on academic performance. Dunbar Vocational and Wendell Phillips Academy primarily serve local students and have been focal points for community education. Despite being underfunded, Wendell Phillips Academy has managed to improve its academic standing in recent years.

Opponents of the new South Side high school are concerned about the potential siphoning of resources from existing schools. Wendell Phillips Academy and Dunbar Vocational Academy, both predominantly Black schools, have experienced budget cuts in recent years. The addition of a new high school could divert further resources away from these institutions, exacerbating financial and academic challenges. This is a significant worry for community members who fear that the new school could undermine the progress and stability of existing schools​​.

A confidential memo from CPS officials revealed troubling projections about the impact of the new school. Preliminary analysis indicated that the new high school would likely accelerate enrollment declines in several nearby schools. This decline could result in financial and academic constraints, making it difficult for these schools to provide an equitable learning experience for all students.

Further complicating the situation is the declining enrollment across the Chicago Public Schools system. Data shows that the student population continues to decrease, which has already led to financial strains. Introducing a new high school into this environment could intensify competition for students and resources, leading to further destabilization of existing schools. 

e. persistent enrollment declines

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) reported a total enrollment of 323,291 students for the 2023-2024 school year. Despite this, CPS has experienced a significant long-term decline. There are still 38,000 fewer students enrolled compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Over the last 11 years, beginning from the 2011-2012 school year, CPS has lost nearly 81,000 students. This sustained decline has resulted in CPS losing its status as the nation’s third-largest school district. Various factors have contributed to this trend, including demographic shifts and changes in urban residency patterns.

The number of low-income students in CPS has also decreased. The previous school year alone saw a decline of nearly 6,000 low-income students. The most substantial drop occurred in the elementary grades, with over 4,500 fewer low-income students enrolled in grades K-8. High school enrollment of economically disadvantaged students decreased by about 1,100, and pre-K enrollment saw a reduction of almost 150.

Comparatively, in 2021, CPS had 314,500 K-12 students and an additional 15,000 preschoolers. Projections suggest that by 2025, K-12 enrollment could fall as low as 262,000, indicating a continuing downward trend.

The exodus from CPS includes nearly 18,000 students who transferred out of the city entirely since the 2019-2020 school year. This exodus predominantly reflects families moving out of Chicago. During the same period, only 727 students transitioned to non-public schools, and 658 switched to homeschooling. 

F. The CPS budget cuts

In 2024, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is navigating significant financial challenges and opportunities. The district has proposed a $9.9 billion budget, aimed at addressing a considerable deficit that had grown to $505 million. This budget aims to balance the financial shortfall primarily through district-level cuts rather than school-level reductions, sparing individual schools from immediate severe impacts​.

Despite the over nine billion dollars in the budget, CPS continues to face structural financial challenges, such as declining student enrollment and underfunded pension obligations​. CPS is only funded at 75% adequacy according to the state's Evidence-Based Funding formula. The district continues to rely heavily on property tax revenues, which are projected to rise by $130.7 million to $3.8 billion in FY2024. 

The Illinois Board of Education revealed that the CPS dropped into the second tier of financial need. This was because of the CPS’ declining enrollment of students from low-income backgrounds.

This worsens the funding gaps of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). As of 2024 latest data, the CPS is underfunded by approximately $1.4 billion under the state's Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula. This formula aims to ensure that school districts receive adequate resources based on specific educational needs and practices. Despite receiving nearly $300 million in additional state funding since the EBF's implementation, CPS remains significantly short of its full funding target.

The district's financial stability is further strained by the expiration of COVID-19 relief funds, which is expected to result in a $391 million deficit for the coming school year, potentially growing to $700 million in the following year​

And did you know that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) continues to face financial repercussions from past funding errors and formula corrections? Yes, CPS is still repaying $87.5 million that it mistakenly received in state funding during the initial rollout of a new state school funding formula in 2018. Additionally, CPS lost $45 million due to a correction in the state funding formula. 

Still, amidst all these oppositions, the CPS is set towards this proposed high school. The Chicago Housing Authority Board unanimously approved the proposal to grant the district a lease for up to 99 years for 1.7 acres of land. And in a close vote of 4-3, the Chicago Board of Education approved plans to begin construction and buying land at 23rd Street and Wabash Avenue for $10.3 million and swapping the land with the Chicago Housing Authority.

School board members narrowly voted in September 2022 to buy the land at 23rd Street and Wabash Avenue for $10.3 million for the school. They also approved a land swap deal with the CHA: The district would lease land at 24th and State for the high school, and the housing agency would get the deed for the Wabash land to complete the Southbridge residential development, allowing some of the families displaced by the demolition of the Ickes Homes to return.

The initial cost estimates for the high school were around $120 million, but this has since increased to $150 million due to various factors, including inflation and additional construction requirements. 

But now the project is stalled.

Officials have become quiet about the project's status, and the website that served as an information hub for the proposed school has been taken down. Originally, a Board of Education vote to approve the capital budget for the project was scheduled for June 2023, but it was pulled for further review.

11th Ward Alderman Nicole Lee said, "We’ve been given no update yet, but as far as I know, everything is pretty much still status quo. I’m still committed to making this happen." 

The CPS stated that the website was “currently paused” and that more information would be shared in due course as the proposal is still under review as they develop long-term strategies and objectives through the CPS Educational Facilities Master Plan and Five-Year Strategic Plan. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson replaced all but one board member and appointed Jianan Shi as school board president. Shi, who was previously with the parent advocacy group Raise Your Hand, has been part of a coalition advocating for the high school to be built elsewhere

Conclusion

The CPS’ plans to build a new High School for the booming South Side communities are lofty. But there are a lot of concerns for them to address. They need to make sure that they listen to the needs of the community and which ones to prioritize. 

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