CPS seeks to shut down 4 charter schools in June
Chicago Public Schools is moving to close four underperforming South Side charter schools in June and is encouraging parents of students to find new schools.
CPS said Thursday they’ll shut down Amandla Charter High School, 6800 S. Stewart; Betty Shabazz — Barbara A. Sizemore Academy Elementary School, 6936 S. Hermitage; CICS — Larry Hawkins High School, 801 E. 133rd Place; and Bronzeville Lighthouse Charter Elementary School, 8 W. Root.
CPS is revoking the charters of all but Bronzeville Lighthouse, which is about to expire and won’t be renewed.
“The proposed closures announced today were made to ensure better outcomes for students, and signal to charters not performing well, that they need to either improve or pack their bags because they will not be able to operate in Chicago,” CEO Forrest Claypool said in a press release.
All four schools have a student population that’s more than 95 percent African-American and at least 84 percent poor, according to CPS data.
All four had been warned about their poor performance. But CPS said the schools didn’t implement remediation plans or improve academic outcomes of students at Amandla, Sizemore and Hawkins since last year. And Bronzeville Lighthouse still holds CPS’ lowest rating: Level 3.
All four closures will need Board of Education approval, but it’s not yet clear when they’ll be presented for a vote.
The district, which still has a $480 million hole in its current operating budget, recently approved two new charter campuses. As it put them forward, it announced tougher standards for all charter schools.
CICS’ interim CEO Mike Bower said that the news on closing Hawkins, a seventh-to-12th-grade school, “comes at a time when CICS’ established process for assessing the performance of all our campuses is already underway.
“We are conducting our assessment of Hawkins’ performance in a careful and deliberate manner. We are following our established process and considering first what is in the best interest of our students — including what practical alternatives and options are available to them,” he added. “Only after that process is complete will the CICS Board be able to decide what it believes is in the best interests of Hawkins students and families. We understand that these kinds of decisions have a major effect on the lives of the students and families we serve — and we have the obligation to consider all possible options.”
CPS has closed just two charter schools since 2011 — including another Betty Shabazz campus — DuSable. Catalyst Howland charter school also volunteered to close for poor performance.
Families looking for new district-run schools for their children can call (773) 5532060. Applications for openenrollment schools are being accepted through Dec. 11. Those looking for new charter options should call (773) 553-1530.