CHICAGO – Following the announcement from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to close four high schools in the city’s South Side, state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, is demanding that more resources and attention be paid to black communities who have been needlessly struggled as a result of failed CPS leadership.

“The decision by Chicago Public Schools to close its doors on our vulnerable students is an outright attack on our community,” Harper said. “Our high schools and students should have never been placed in this situation in the first place, and promises that were made to us were not kept. Once again, it is children of color paying the price for a school board that only answers to the mayor.”

CPS unilaterally moved forward in closing Hope, Harper, Team Englewood and Robeson High Schools recently, all of which are located in the Englewood community, displacing students without any real hope for their future. Harper has been a leading voice in calling on an elected school board for CPS in order to have accountability for reckless actions like these.

“Through actions like these, it’s clear that the CPS board does not care about the fate of these students and families who have to suffer the consequences,” Harper said. “Above all, students and parents should know that I will continue fighting until CPS adopts a comprehensive strategy to accommodate the needs of students affected by these school closings.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, released the following statement Friday after CPS announced a proposal to close all of the public high schools in West Englewood and Englewood in June of 2018:

“This is more than a blow to the education of our city’s most vulnerable children, it is a direct attack on the livelihood of black communities across the city of Chicago. Our community is already struggling with the highest rates of unemployment, crime, food insecurity and a lack of affordable housing for families. Closing down our four public high schools will only add to that instability.

“In the Englewood community, we experienced six elementary school closings at once just a few years ago. Now those buildings are sitting empty while our kids are forced to commute long distances every day just to get to school. This has had a devastating impact on families in our neighborhoods, and now the city wants to shut down our entire stock of high schools.

“The proposal for a new high school in the South Loop is simply not enough to make up for the loss of public neighborhood high schools for the children in Englewood. This is yet another example of Chicago’s unelected, unaccountable school board answering only to insiders, and turning its back on communities of color. I am fighting to pass an elected school board that will answer to our families, and I’m also calling on CPS’ leaders to reject these closings and put our children’s futures first for a change.”