Politics and Money

[dickmilde]

Chicago closes 54 schools to address $1b deficit

CHICAGO — City officials said Thursday that they plan to close 54 schools in an effort to address a $1 billion budget shortfall and improve a struggling educational system — a plan that drew the ire of parents and teachers.

The Chicago school district’s chief executive, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel say the closures are necessary because too many school buildings are half-empty.

The nation’s third-largest district, the system has about 403,000 students but has seats for more than 500,000, officials say. But opponents say the closures will disproportionately affect minority children and endanger students who may have to cross gang boundaries to attend school.

Chicago is among several major cities, including Philadelphia, Washington, and Detroit, to use mass school closures to reduce costs and offset declining enrollment. Detroit has closed more than 130 schools since 2005, including more than 40 in 2010 alone.
( Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Detroit... is there a common denominator here ? )
http://bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2013/03/21/chicago-close-schools-address-deficit/htq2cMW2aeh9IOuhpW3AVK/story.html