After Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel shuttered 50 schools four years ago, one of the biggest complaints from communities was that the process to determine the schools’ reuse lacked transparency.
Chicago Public Schools never posted detailed information about the buildings. Aldermen were responsible for the reuse process, but several never held meetings about the future of the schools in their wards, according to a Reporter investigation into the closures, the most at one time of any district in the country. And two-thirds of the buildings are still vacant.
Two weeks ago, CPS announced that it would take over a failing repurposing process from aldermen and put the schools up for bid without public input. But last week at the first district meeting with potential buyers since the announcement, the same concerns about transparency resurfaced. Both a district employee and a real estate broker admitted the district’s repurposing website is out-of-date and lacks necessary information about the schools up for sale.
The meeting was to inform potential buyers about the schools before the March 13 deadline to submit offers. Thirty-eight people attended, most of whom represented local developers, real-estate groups and a handful of private schools and churches.
Most of the schools had never officially been on the market. Some residents said the cash-strapped district was looking to quickly generate revenue from the sale of schools at the expense of involving communities in that process.
So far, interest has been high for the sole North Side school, a Bronzeville school, a West Englewood school near a new Whole Foods Market and two West Side schools near downtown. The majority of the vacant schools are located on the South and West sides in low-income African-American neighborhoods, where communities could most benefit from the reuse of the buildings.
Several people at the meeting asked about where they could find more information about the closed schools. A CPS procurement employee, Patricia Hernandez, directed them to the district’s repurposing website—where each school has a two-page document of basic information—but acknowledged it dated back to when the reuse process began years ago. More current information, she said, had to be requested from the district’s real-estate broker.
“None of the good stuff that you’re looking for is on [the website] yet,” said Mike Nardini, a first vice president for CBRE, the real-estate company that’s helping CPS sell its schools.
Nardini provided The Chicago Reporter with a sample of information potential buyers could request, including a facility assessment and an asbestos inspection. (The district posts both publicly for open schools.) The packet also contained detailed floor plans and land surveys.
The Reporter also found in its investigation that other school districts prioritized keeping residents and potential buyers in the know by making it easy to find all sorts of information about empty schools.
Kansas City Public Schools, which ran a repurposing initiative that’s considered a national model, updated its reuse website frequently, with detailed facility and site assessments, floor plans, environmental inspection reports, interior photos, meeting dates, community feedback, reuse ideas and proposals from potential buyers.
It is unlikely Chicago residents will have much of a say in the future of the majority of schools that are up for bid because public meetings are no longer required. Residents put restrictions on only eight of 28 schools up for sale.
This story is part of a series that examines the impact, four years later, of closing 50 Chicago public schools. Sign up to receive new installments in your inbox.
…Besty DeVos certainly not best choice for educational development. USA nor candidate of K-12 contrary political rather allow closure for charter. Doesn’t entail higher curriculum nor advantage academically furthermore argument majority once. Successful and zip codes of urban schools now close why? Chicago,St.Louis,L.A and Philadelphia irate majority of superintendents majority are “minorities” rather collaborate with private. Which tax payers going incur laugh,bias smaller classes specialized curriculum shall. Zip codes benefit society? Furthermore to endure impartial attitude of Forrest and Janice Jackson above average…formerly Barbara Bryd indicted. Didn’t have master plan for transforming “CPS” salaries dismal Rahm any suggestion closure. Neighborhoods where once,White yeah straight referring heterosexual able appropriate. Corporate society ratio majority middle class or affluent contrary diversity CPS Asian and Indian students. Chosen top K-12 deny to others Claypool where is agenda of fairness. Former buildings once sold fund,appropriated remolding present facilities. Improve without high expenditure now,where talking “Oprah,Jesse Jackson,Common,Obama and James Carter. CPS needs your interest to benefit improvement of curriculum not ridiculing of disunity! Aspiring students eager to enroll ivy league colleges going denied without improved polices of CPS. Suburban which majority White privilege where is democracy Obama?