Chicago Board of Education Pushes Acero To Find Alternatives To Planned Charter School Closures
Board Passes Resolution to Find Alternatives to Campus Closures
The Chicago Board of Education passed a resolution on Thursday that called for a later deadline for GoCPS applications and sought to find alternatives to the Acero charter school network’s plan for seven campus closures on the Southwest Side.
Background
The Acero charter network announced last month that it will close seven campuses because of a $40 million budget shortfall. The staff at those campuses are members of the Chicago Teachers Union. Families and teachers have rallied against the closure since the network’s announcement.
Resolution Demands Alternatives
The board’s resolution called for Acero officials to meet with the board to discuss alternatives to the campus closures, which would impact 2,000 students and 500 staffers. The resolution demands that if the network declines to find alternatives, Acero “shall return all unspent public funds and property” to the district.
Board’s Options
The board’s resolution also outlined three options for the district to consider in response to the closures. One option is that CPS would provide “support” to Acero to keep the campuses open. The presentation said the district has “confirmed and identified the financial needs” but didn’t elaborate, saying more budget information would be shared at upcoming board meetings.
A second option would be helping affected students enroll at CPS-run schools, which the district says is in line with what it has done in the past when charter operators moved to close their own schools. It would provide more money to district schools that enroll “a significant number” of additional students.
A third option would have the district absorb the seven Acero campuses slated for closure and reopen them as CPS schools in the 2026-27 school year. The union has previously asked the district to absorb the campuses.
Conclusion
The Chicago Board of Education’s resolution is a significant step in the effort to find alternatives to the planned charter school closures. The board’s options provide a framework for the district to consider in response to the closures, and the demand for Acero to return unspent public funds and property adds pressure on the network to find alternatives.
FAQs
Q: What is the reason for the Acero charter school network’s plan to close seven campuses?
A: The network cited a $40 million budget shortfall as the reason for the closures.
Q: What are the options outlined by the board for the district to consider in response to the closures?
A: The board outlined three options: providing support to Acero to keep the campuses open, helping affected students enroll at CPS-run schools, and absorbing the seven Acero campuses and reopening them as CPS schools.
Q: What is the deadline for GoCPS applications?
A: The board passed a resolution to push the deadline for GoCPS applications back to Dec. 15 to give affected families more time to choose a school for next year.
Q: Why did the board hire outside law firm Cozen O’Connor?
A: The district did not respond to questions about why the board decided to hire the firm.
