Chicago’s public schools are emptying. Politics makes it hard to fix

The enrolment in Chicago's public schools has collapsed due to racial segregation and policies that have led to an overproduction of schools, making it difficult to fix. Consolidating schools is the obvious solution, but it's politically difficult. Teachers are expected to push for pay increases, an

March 17, 2023 . 3:37 AM

1 min read

Chicago's public schools on the west and south sides are struggling with enrolment that has collapsed.
Money is only part of the problem. Though, on paper, funding follows individual students, “equity” grants from the school district mean that smaller schools do in fact still get more.
The obvious solution is to consolidate schools—reallocating some buildings and closing others. Yet that is politically difficult.
A new teachers’ contract is due to be negotiated next year, and teachers are likely to push for pay increases.
Just a fifth of Chicago’s high school students are able to read and do maths at their appropriate grade level, a far lower rate than in 2019.