Chicago's charters and options

The board approved contract lengths for 13 schools are longer than what has been approved in recent years.

Hundreds of Chicago students were forced to find new schools a few months ago after their ASPIRA charter schools closed. After acclimating to new teachers and classmates, the seniors are graduating.

In an unanimous vote without any discussion, the board moved to revoke ASPIRA’s charter after months of cash advances to the school and concerns it wouldn’t have the money to finish off the school year.

The Chicago charter network said it will cease operations at the two high schools by April 3, when all staff at the campuses will be laid off.

The building for Acero Santiago in West Town is owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago but was put up for sale last summer. Since then, parents and teachers have been pushing CPS to take over the building.

The network’s leaders have insisted two high schools they operate will remain open at least until the end of the school year. But CPS officials say they have run out of patience with ASPIRA’s failure to provide financial documents and a plan showing it can stay open.

Three charters are leaning on their overseer, Chicago Public Schools, to help with making payroll. Critics argue fiscal missteps are the cause of the fiscal distress, but charter advocates counter it’s due to district underfunding.

The investigation, which has spanned multiple years, alleges that Instituto has failed to provide more than 100 students with disabilities with services they are legally entitled to.

The two independently-run public schools announced earlier this year that they could no longer operate the high school campuses.

Many students and union officials asked the school board for help to prevent a possible midyear closure of the South Side high school.

The move comes two months after the school’s contract was renewed by the Chicago Board of Education and two years after it unveiled plans for a $22 million renovation.

The charter school was one of five the Chicago Board of Education voted to save and turn into a district-run school. But the school community worries about its future after the Archdiocese of Chicago put the building up for sale.

The school board has delayed its charter renewal votes for two months, leaving many charter families and educators wondering about the future of their schools.

More privately-run, public charter schools in Chicago have closed in recent years. In a first, Chicago Public Schools is poised to convert five back to district-run campuses.

The school district will spend up to $25 million on a new version of the program, which was put on hold after a rocky two years last summer.

After months of turmoil for Acero parents and staff, the Chicago Board of Education voted to save most — but not all — of the charter network’s schools slated for closure.

Administrators at Acero Schools’ Soto High School and Idar Elementary said they escorted two students into the building away from the incident. The federal agents did not enter the building, charter officials said. Federal immigration authorities confirmed the action Thursday.

Hundreds of families and teachers have been lobbying the school board to come up with a plan to save the seven Acero campuses.

Acero said it would close 7 schools before the 2025-26 school year due to a $40 million budget shortfall.

The deadline for applying to magnet, selective, charter, and other schools outside a student’s neighborhood is being extended to Dec. 15.