CPS Could Give Building To Private Arts High School

By aaroncynic in News on Nov 5, 2013 8:30PM

Students and parents outside LaFayette Elementary School during protests opposing the school's closing last spring. (Via OccupyCPS)

One of the schools closed by Chicago Public School last spring could see a second life as an arts high school. The Sun-Times reports the Chicago High School for the Arts, which has shuffled around several buildings in the past five years, now has Lafayette Elementary in Humbolt Park in its sights.

Though CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll wouldn’t confirm a deal was in place she told WBEZ that Lafayette is one of nine schools under consideration. Unnamed sources from City Hall, however, told the Sun-Times the deal was all but done.

ChiArts opened in 2009 and has since struggled to find a permanent home. At present, the school is located in Bronzeville. A partnership with Lafayette was discussed in 2010 but never materialized because of limited space. Valerie Nelson, former head of Lafayette’s school council said “It was going to be a big awesome to-do and then all of a sudden nothing.” The school also had plans to take over an old Malcolm X College building but that plan fell through as well. According to CPS, the renovation costs and other expenses to ChiArts would’ve been “excessive.”

The plan to move to move ChiArts, which is a “contract school,” is a slap in the face to some neighborhood residents. When Lafayette was closed, students and families were promised a charter would not be put in its place. Though ChiArts technically isn’t a charter, it is still privately run and publicly funded. Students are admitted by audition, rather than lottery.

Rousemary Vega, who occupied the school to protest its closing on the last day of class with her family told the Sun-Times:

“For crying out loud, how do you move 570 students that were comfortable, that had the programs they needed . . . and . . . later you lease out their building?”