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Friday, March 29, 2024

Analysis: CPS could save close to $200 million by closing empty schools

Fenger high school chicago

CPS keeps Fenger High School on Chicago's far South Side open, even though it has 271 students. The building once housed 5,300. | Wikipedia

CPS keeps Fenger High School on Chicago's far South Side open, even though it has 271 students. The building once housed 5,300. | Wikipedia

Chicago Public Schools could save close to $200 million per year by closing more than 100 mostly empty schools it continues to operate and maintain.

Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Chicago City Wire, analyzed CPS’ published school occupancy data and found that, by the district’s own admission, 304 of the 566 buildings it operates are “underutilized,” or at least 20 percent empty.

 Of the underutilized schools, 116 are more than 50 percent empty; 77 of those are more than 70 percent empty.

 Closing all schools that are less than 50 percent full, and moving their 41,825 students elsewhere, would save at least $181 million, according to the LGIS analysis.

The savings would come from eliminating 1,448 duplicative teachers, administrative and operational staff, like custodians, lunchroom attendants, and security guards, at CPS’ most underutilized schools, according to LGIS.

It would include $123,429,354 in salary and benefits for those staff members, before their pension contributions and another $58 million in various school operating expenses, or an estimated average of $500,000 per year, per school.

If it made the cuts, CPS would be left with 446 schools that have a capacity of 352,173, serving 347,028 students. 

Over the past 15 years, CPS has spent $6.6 billion more than it has received in tax revenue.

In 2016, it spent $6.1 billion and received $5.2 billion, a deficit of $900 million.

Rather than close schools, CPS has continued building new ones. Most recently, a published report suggested the district is building a new high school in the South Loop.

The South Loop's current high school is Phillips, 244 E. Pershing Road, which has 635 students and a capacity of 1,834.

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Which CPS schools are operating at below 50 percent capacity?

According to CPS, 116 schools are "underutilized." How many are in your neighborhood?

SchoolTypeEnrollmentCapacity%AddressNeighborhood
Camelot Safe HS141509%7877 S. ColesSouth Shore
HirschHS1501,08014%7740 S. InglesideGreater Grand Crossing
RobesonHS2041,29616%6835 S. NormalEnglewood
TildenHS3111,96816%4747 S. UnionCanaryville
ManleyHS2481,53616%2935 W. PolkEast Garfield Park
FengerHS2711,56017%11220 S. WallaceRoseland
HarperHS2531,44018%6520 S. WoodWest Englewood
OrrHS4052,11219%730 N. PulaskiWest Garfield Park
CICS- HawkinsHS17081621%801 E. 133rdAltgeld Gardens
DouglassHS23498424%543 N. WallerAustin
Chicago VocationalHS9784,08024%2100 E. 87thCalumet Heights
ClementeHS7663,14424%1147 N. WesternUkrainian Village
CraneHS4971,95625%2245 W. JacksonNear West Side
MarshallHS4251,65626%3250 W. AdamsEast Garfield Park
Austin BusinessHS10238427%231 N. PineAustin
Marshall MiddleMS5621027%3900 N. LawndaleAvondale
HopeHS19974427%5515 S. LoweEnglewood
TillES3671,35027%6453 S. ChamplainWoodlawn
MasonES3891,41028%1830 S. KeelerLittle Village
King ElementaryES24181030%740 S. CampbellNorth Lawndale
HolmesES23878031%955 W. Garfield Englewood
DodgeES12239031%431 N. TroyEast Garfield Park
FrazierES27587032%3711 W. DouglasNorth Lawndale
RichardsHS27686432%5009 S. LaflinNew City
AldridgeES19460032%630 W. 131stAltgeld Gardens
VoiseHS19560033%231 N. PineAustin
WellsHS4611,39233%936 N. AshlandWest Town
LibbyES3601,08033%5338 S. LoomisNew City
Noble-BakerHS4131,23633%2710 E. 89thSouth Chicago
PerezES33299034%1241 W. 19th.Pilsen
DrakeES4191,23034%2710 S. DearbornDouglas
EsmondES28984034%1865 W. MontvaleMorgan Park
UpliftES31188835%900 W. Wilson

Gage ParkHS4061,15235%5630 S. RockwellGage Park
PhillipsHS6431,82435%244 E. PershingBronzeville
Mount VernonES24469035%10540 S. MorganMorgan Park
JennferES24669036%1119 N. ClevelandOld Town
FarragutHS9162,54436%2345 S. ChristianaLittle Village
Hyde ParkHS8072,23236%6220 S. Stony IslandWoodlawn
Austin PolyHS12233636%231 N. PineAustin
ManierreES34996036%1119 N. ClevelandOld Town
ReavasES27775037%834 E. 50th Kenwood
Air ForceHS32888837%3630 S. WellsBridgeport
DunbarHS7612,01638%3000 S. KingDouglas
Woodson/U of CES32284038%4414 S. EvansBronzeville
GreshamES34590038%8254 S. GreenAuburn Gresham
North LawndaleHS3971,03238%1615 S. ChristianaNorth Lawndale
GaleES38199038%1631 W. JonquilRogers Park
SmythES4741,23039%1059 W. 13thLittle Italy
SimpsonHS7419239%1321 S. PaulinaLittle Italy
RobinsonES13936039%4225 S. Lake ParkOakland
MannES38599039%8050 S. ChappelSouth Shore
Fort DearbornES38699039%9025 S. ThroopBrainerd
BowenHS35991239%2710 E. 89thSouth Chicago
FieldES30075040%7019 N. AshlandRogers Park
CaldewllES27769040%8456 S. CregierAvalon Park
Team EnglewoodHS27267240%6201 S. StewartEnglewood
WhistlerES26966041%11533 S. AdaMorgan Park
CookES4161,02041%8150 S. BishopAuburn Gresham
HendricksES24560041%4316 S. PrincetonFuller Park
Avalon ParkES33281041%8045 S. KenwoodAvalon Park
BrightES29972042%10740 S. CalhounTrumbull Park
CorlissHS4191,00842%821 E. 103rdPullman
JulianHS7201,72842%10330 S. ElizabethWashington Heights
FaradayES34281042%3250 W. MonroeEast Garfield Park
BondES33378043%7050 S. MayEnglewood
GarveyES26963043%10309 S. MorganFernwood
W. BrownES27163043%54 N. HermitageWest Town
LawndaleES38890043%3500 W. DouglasNorth Lawndale
HearstES33778043%4640 S. LamonVittum Park
KozminskiES34378044%936 E. 54th Hyde Park
HarlanHS6131,39244%9652 S. MichiganRoseland
MirelesES6651,50044%9000 S. ExchangeSouth Chicago
PiccoloES5891,32045%1040 N. KeelerHumboldt Park
TiltonES34978045%223 N. KeelerWest Garfield Park
CrownES32372045%2128 S. St. LouisLittle Village
DettES36481045%2131 W. MonroeNear West Side
YatesES5551,23045%1839 N. RichmondLogan Square
PhoenixHS5201,15245%145 S. CampbellEast Garfield Park
RabyHS4791,05645%3545 W. FultonEast Garfield Park
BronzevilleHS44898446%4934 S. WabashBronzeville
Chicago ArtsHS6051,32046%2714 W. AugustaWest Town
ParksideES27560046%6938 S. East EndSouth Shore
WoodstonES38684046%4414 S. EvansBronzeville
KingHS6951,51246%4445 S. DrexelNorth Kenwood
GregoryES41490046%3715 W. PolkNorth Lawndale
WilliamsHS26557646%4934 S. WabashBronzeville
BrentanoES44396046%2723 N. FairfieldLogan Square
G. CarverES4851,05046%901 E. 133rd Altgeld Gardens
AsheES32069046%8505 S. InglesideChatham
M. DavisES27960047%3014 W. 39thBrighton Park
ShermanES32169047%1000 W. 52nd New City
M. JacksonES34975047%917 W. 88thBrainerd
FultonES41990047%5300 S. HermitageBack of the Yards
HendersonES33872047%5650 S. WolcottWest Englewood
CatherES36778047%2908 W. WashingtonEast Garfield Park
SchmidES22648047%9755 S. GreenwoodPullman
NashES34172047%4837 W. ErieAustin
DarwinES5121,08047%3116 W. BeldenLogan Square
NeilES31366047%8555 S. MichiganChatham
Urban Prep- WestHS34272048%1326 W. 14th Pl.Little Italy
LewisES4991,05048%1431 N. LeamingtonNorth Austin
KellmanES37178048%3030 W. ArthingtonHoman Square
Bloom/KippES25754048%5515 S. LoweEnglewood
U of Chicago- WoodlawnHS6411,32049%6420 S. UniversityWoodlawn
PennES37978049%1616 S. AversNorth Lawndale
Noble- AcademyHS24550449%1443 N. OgdenOld Town
GrahamES48299049%4436 S. UnionCanaryville
BennettES35372049%10115 S. PrairieRoseland
CICS- Chicago QuestHS22545649%1443 N. OgdenOld Town
CooperES5481,11049%1624 W. 19thHeart of Chicago
JoplinES41684050%7927 S. HonoreAuburn Gresham
BeethovenES45190050%25 W. 47thBronzeville
TOTALS

41,825114,41443%

Source: Chicago Public Schools

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