Frustrated Parents At 2 Acero Charter Schools Closing This Year Weigh Options: ‘Our Hands Are Tied’
Introduction to the Crisis
LITTLE VILLAGE — Some parents at two charter schools set to close at the end of this school year said they have been left with no “good choices” for their children. The Chicago Board of Education moved to keep five of seven Acero charter schools open, but Paz, an elementary school in Little Village, and Cruz, a K-12 school in Rogers Park, will close in June. The Feb. 27 decision came four months after Acero announced it would close seven schools due to a $40 million deficit, impacting about 1,800 students and 200 staff members.
Background on the Decision
The board’s decision moves away from a December plan that called for Chicago Public Schools to cover the costs of running seven Acero campuses for next school year so they wouldn’t close. In February, the board decided to make five of the campuses district schools by the 2026-27 school year. At a meeting for Paz parents Wednesday, CPS and Acero Schools officials vowed to support parents to “make the best choice” for their families as they presented options for next school year.
Support and Transition
“We understand the harm that closing the school causes and [that] the transition that will cause for families, as well. It has been a rollercoaster,” said Alfonso Carmona, chief portfolio officer for Chicago Public Schools. For next school year, Paz students can sign up to attend another Acero school through a lottery system, enroll into another charter school or transfer to a CPS neighborhood school, Carmona said. Each process has different deadlines, and CPS officials vowed Wednesday to help each Paz and Cruz family navigate the process.
Options for Students
Students could also attend a CPS choice school — if they signed up before the GoCPS deadline closed last year and they receive an offer next month and accept it, Carmona said. But parents said they were hoping for a solution that would ensure the entire Paz community would transfer to a new school and stay together. “We were hoping [school officials] would tell us all students and staff are automatically transferring to Casas” elementary school, said Manuela Atayde, the mother of three current Paz students.
Lottery System and Priorities
There may be room for most Paz students to transfer to Casas, an Acero school in Pilsen, if parents choose that option, Carmona said. However, students cannot automatically transfer. They must enroll in a lottery system if there are more students than available seats, as mandated by a state law for charter operators.
A sign calling to keep Paz open, an Acero school in Little Village, as seen outside the school on March 12, 2025. Credit: France Garcia Hernandez/Block Club Chicago
Parental Concerns
At Wednesday’s meeting, parents questioned why Acero CEO Richard Rodriguez did not meet with parents to help them find a solution that prioritizes students’ well-being. “Our voices don’t matter,” said Viridiana Vences, the mother of a Paz student. “Until now, we had not been provided a solution. Now that we have, we feel like our hands are tied.” Acero’s lottery system gives priority to siblings of current students at the school that a new student is applying to, as well as to students of another Acero school and students who live within the priority area for three schools — Clemente, Fuentes and Tamayo.
Alternative Options
To ease the transition for students at Paz and Cruz, CPS and Acero officials have added one category that would “bump up” Paz and Cruz students to be accepted in another Acero school, said Helena Stangle, chief culture officer for Acero Schools. Students can also choose to transfer to another Acero school before the current school year ends — an option that could help parents increase their chances of securing a spot at that school next year based on the charter’s lottery system, officials said.
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