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News > In the Headlines
If something works, you can almost count on bureaucrats to screw it up. Chicago Public Schools officials are apparently considering a plan to dismantle Keller Elementary Gifted Magnet School, which ranks second in the state in student test scores, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Officially, CPS officials claim that "there is no thought to closing the Keller program." But Keller parents believe a decision has been made to move the school in the Mount Greenwood community to a distant Chicago location. They believe that because CPS officials stopped by the school last week and told the principal it was going to happen. Apparently two public schools in Mount Greenwood have become overcrowded, and CPS officials covet the space for about 250 students at Keller, 3020 W. 108th St. SouthtownStar staff writer Duaa Eldeib reported that over the past six years, 100 percent of Keller students met or exceeded standards on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. That's not surprising because achievement tests are required to get into Keller, and parents are expected to participate heavily in school activities. The issue of moving Keller caused a furor in the 19th Ward because many Beverly community residents try to send their children to the school. Enrollment at Mount Greenwood Elementary School, 10840 Homan Ave., has grown from 583 students in the 2006-07 school year to 690 in 2007-08, 715 in 2008-09 and 766 this school year. CPS officials estimate that the school's enrollment will grow to 848 next year. The school's capacity is 885, but schools that operate above 80 percent capacity are considered to be "overcrowded" because beyond that point schools "typically lose ancillary classroom space that would otherwise be art rooms, music rooms, special needs rooms, and the like," according to a spokesman for the school system. Overcrowding is also an issue, I am told, at Cassell Elementary School, 11314 Spaulding Ave., where some classes have been held in the hallways, according to Ald. Ginger Rugai (19th). Rugai has come under criticism on some blogs and in e-mails from Keller parents, who claim she's responsible for trying to get the school relocated. "There are problems with overcrowding at Mount Greenwood and Cassell, and I have been after CPS officials for some years to address those issues," Rugai said. "As a result, they were looking at a number of options, such as building an annex at Cassell, and using Keller was one of them. "Apparently, last week, CPS officials came out to Keller and told the principal they were planning to relocate the school in 2011. That should not have happened. They should have said they were considering that as a possible option because there is no plan to move Keller." As for her position on Keller, Rugai said she successfully lobbied for a new Keller building to be constructed, back when the school only served first- through sixth-graders, so that seventh and eighth grades could be added. After looking at gifted magnet school locations in the city, I noted that Keller seemed to be the only one on the Southwest Side. "It's a wonderful school that we're very proud of," Rugai said. "I would fight any plan to move it out of the ward." As a result of the hornet's nest that CPS stirred up in the 19th Ward, Rugai demanded that school officials issue a public response to ease the fears of Keller parents. She sent me a copy of the e-mail she received from Jose Alvarez, director of local school council operations for CPS. "As a follow-up to our conversations and the calls/concerns from Keller parents, I'd like to assure you that the Keller relocation proposal will not move forward until further discussions take place with you and the Keller community," Alvarez wrote. "As we previously discussed, this is NOT a done deal. We are only exploring options to alleviate the overcrowding at Mount Greenwood. The proposal to relocate Keller will not be present for board approval today (Wednesday) nor will it be presented before it is reviewed further along with other options. "I apologize for the miscommunication that has taken place regarding this matter ..." CPS officials have scheduled a meeting with Keller parents today at 6 p.m. It sounds like there is a real need to relieve overcrowding at the Mount Greenwood elementary schools and that CPS has failed to address the issue for far too long. Apparently, the problem has been worsened, in part, by some parents taking their children out of Catholic schools and putting them in public schools because of the economic crisis. But Keller works. It's by all accounts the sort of school most parents dream about. The real issue should be providing a Keller-type education to every Chicago Public Schools student. |
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