CPS to Displace 500 Charter Students
Chicago Public Schools is moving to shut down the financially troubled ASPIRA charter school network, displacing more than 500 students. The reassignment process will scatter students to new schools, creating significant disruption and increasing the need for transition and emotional regulation support.
The charter network's financial distress includes a request for $4.8 million from CPS just to complete the current school year. This followed multiple cash advances from the district totaling $2.5 million to help the schools make payroll between November and January. ASPIRA’s financial problems are rooted in a significant, multi-year decline in student enrollment. The network's enrollment has dropped by nearly 10% annually over the last four years, yet officials continued to base budgets on unrealistic enrollment projections, creating structural deficits. For the current school year, the budget assumed 698 students, but only 571 enrolled. Founded in 1968 to empower Latino youth, ASPIRA of Illinois has a history of academic and operational struggles. As far back as 2013, CPS recommended closing one of its high schools due to poor performance, and for at least six consecutive years, its students' test scores were below the district average. Parents and students are now raising concerns about the immediate future, questioning how student credits will be transferred and how legally required services for students with disabilities outlined in IEPs will be handled mid-year. High school seniors are particularly concerned about their ability to graduate on time. The Chicago Teachers Union, which represents staff at the charter, rallied with families to demand a plan that would keep students and staff together. Meanwhile, some CPS board members have publicly criticized ASPIRA for financial mismanagement, calling the situation a necessary warning to other charter operators. This closure is part of a larger trend of financial instability among Chicago's charter schools. Last year, the Board of Education voted to absorb five Acero charter schools to prevent their closure and also took over the troubled Chicago High School for the Arts.
