Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman is recommending six new schools be opened as part of the district’s Renaissance 2010 initiative. All the schools would be run by outside entities.
Five of the new schools will be located on the city’s south side.
Jaime Guzman runs the district’s Office of New Schools.
GUZMAN: We’ve really focused on priority communities—so communities that really need additional high-quality school options, places like South Chicago, places like Roseland, places like Riverdale, places like Englewood.
Five of the new schools will be charter schools; they’ll be run by nonprofits. A sixth school will be run by a for-profit school management firm. All will be run by entities currently operating other Chicago schools.
Opposition to Renaissance 2010 has grown more intense recently. Some say the city is privatizing its schools—and exacerbating youth violence by disrupting attendance boundaries and provoking school closures.
The Board of Education will vote on the new school proposals later this month.
The proposed new schools are:
Noble Street Charter School—Englewood Campus, Grades 9-12, to be located in the old Reed Elementary School, 6350 S. Stewart, which CPS is phasing out. Would open in fall 2010.
Chicago International Charter School (CICS) – Riverdale Campus, Grades 6-12, to be located at Carver Middle School, 801 E. 133rd Place. CPS consolidated Carver Middle and Carver Elementary last year. Opening fall 2010.
LEARN Charter School—South Chicago Campus, Grades K-8, to share space with James N. Thorp Elementary School, 8914 S. Buffalo Ave. Would open in fall 2010.
LEARN Charter School—South Shore Campus, Grades K-8, 7110 S. Coles, opening 2011.
Roseland Preparatory Academy (a proposed “contract” school, with the contract held by the Roseland Preparatory Academy Board, which will subcontract with Mosaica Education, Inc., to run the school), Grades K-8, 11400 S. Edbrooke, opening 2011.
UNO Charter School, Grades K-8, location undetermined, opening 2011.