- Published: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 04:04 PM
Illinois State Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) has fought against shuttering 54 schools in the City of Chicago that will unjustly affect minority communities.
“I am gravely disappointed. These closings will put our children in danger. One of the biggest problems is that students will now have to cross gang boundaries to get to their new schools. Also, this proposal will eliminate facilities that are considered anchors in some struggling communities,” said Sandoval, vice chairman of the Senate Local Government Committee.
Nearly 30,000 students will be affected by the CPS closures. Opponents argue that this proposal should contain safeguards to ensure that class sizes don’t increase and the savings from these closures is put back into the education of students, not the administration of CPS.
Sandoval went on to note that the $43 million a year that CPS will save from these closures should go to help relieve the current overcrowding situations experienced at some schools, as well as replacing antiquated mobile units. These savings should build additions, libraries and cafeterias to help meet the growing minority populations in CPS.