A decade after closing 50 schools, Chicago faces consequences of unrealized promises and continued challenges.
Looking back: Ten years ago, then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed 50 Chicago schools, claiming it would save money and improve education.
* The closures were justified by citing under-enrollment, poor performance, and deteriorating buildings.
By the numbers: Presently, more than half of the closed buildings remain unused and dilapidated.
* Neighborhoods around the shuttered schools saw a steeper drop in population in predominantly Black communities.
Unfulfilled Promises: Many of the assurances made during the closures, such as improved education services and neighborhood redevelopment, have not come to fruition.
* Consequences include distrust in public officials and harm to families who wanted their schools funded and improved instead of closing.
In Retrospect: While the exact savings from the school closures are uncertain, Chicago Public Schools’ current CEO, Pedro Martinez, believes the costs of closing the schools (lost trust and challenges in managing facilities) outweigh any benefits gained.
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