CPS Considers Keeping 7 Acero Schools Open Another Year Before Taking Over 5
Board of Education Moves to Keep Schools Open for One More Year
After weeks of protests from families and staff against the proposed closing of seven Acero charter schools, Chicago’s Board of Education is moving to keep all seven open for one more school year then take over five of the campuses in 2026. The board also took the extraordinary step of threatening not to renew Acero’s contract to operate the rest of its schools.
Hybrid Plan to Avoid Closing All Seven Schools
The school board scheduled a special meeting for Friday to pass a resolution directing Chicago Public Schools officials to pursue the plan, which could include paying a small amount of extra cash to the publicly funded, privately managed charter network to fill an operating deficit next year. CPS leaders first floated this idea at the board’s monthly meeting last week among several options to avoid closing all seven schools. Others included the school district taking over the operations of all seven schools, letting all of them close, or providing more funding to keep all seven schools open for at least two more years.
Most Affordable Option
The hybrid plan that would buy all seven more time before closing only two was found to be the most affordable option, CPS officials said. The school board directed CPS to come to an agreement with Acero “to cover the deficit to operate the seven campuses for the 2025-26 school year” while considering “operational savings, other potential revenue and Acero’s unspent reserves.”
Questions Raised About Acero’s Finances
A WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times analysis last month found that while Acero has been hit by declining enrollment and growing teacher costs, the organization has tens of millions of dollars in cash, raising questions about whether it needed to close seven of its 15 schools now.
Schools to be Affected
Under the Board of Education’s plan, the two schools that would close after the 2025-26 school year would be the Acero Paz campus in Little Village, a 98-student elementary school, and Acero Cruz, a K-12 school in Rogers Park with 542 children. CPS officials said those two schools are chief contributors to Acero’s projected financial deficit, which they predicted might entirely disappear if they closed. But the board did leave open the possibility that Paz and Cruz could be considered for takeover in 2026.
Five Schools to Become District-Run
The five other schools — Acero’s Cisneros, Casas, Fuentes, Tamayo, and Santiago campuses — would automatically transition into district-run schools in the 2026-27 school year.
Conditions for Keeping Schools Open
The board resolution reads: “Such plans should involve district support for parents and staff to maximize retention of teachers, staff, and students as these schools transition.” The board said Acero officials must comply with these efforts.
Future of Acero’s Charter
The board also warned that Acero’s announced closures are inconsistent with the educational mission of the board and call into question whether the board should renew Acero’s charter school agreement in 2026. “Acero’s cooperation in these matters may be considered in whether to renew” the charter for another term.
Conclusion
The decision to keep the seven Acero schools open for one more year and take over five of the campuses in 2026 is a positive step towards preserving educational opportunities for students and staff. However, the future of the remaining two schools remains uncertain.
FAQs
* What is the plan for the seven Acero schools?
+ The schools will remain open for one more year, with the possibility of takeover by the district in 2026.
* Which schools will be affected by the plan?
+ Acero Paz and Acero Cruz will close after the 2025-26 school year, while the other five schools will become district-run in 2026-27.
* Why is the plan necessary?
+ The plan is intended to address the financial challenges faced by Acero, including declining enrollment and growing teacher costs.
* What is the board’s stance on the future of Acero’s charter?
+ The board has threatened to not renew Acero’s charter agreement in 2026 if the organization does not cooperate with the plan.
