Well, there are three schools in very close proximity:
- Lincolnwood is 4 blocks west of Kingsley
- Fifth Ward School is about 4 blocks south of Kingsley
So I think it one of those will have to close and they'll probably suggest relocating the staff and all the things in the building over to the Foster school.
Everyone says that Orrington is going to close and I'm sure 4 of the Board members would love to see that, but I just don't see that happening - the parents there would sue and it would blow up busing costs even worse.
I think this makes sense if just one northern school (i.e. Haven feeder) closes. However, they probably have to close a second school. Do they close a second northern one, or a school elsewhere in the city? What a mess.
Unless they converted King Arts into a neighborhood school and reassigned Walker students there, I'm not sure where else they could logically consolidate. Upon opening Foster (if/when), I'm guessing the total projected population of the four schools up north totals well below the capacity of two of those schools. It's just funny when people make such a huge deal about having a neighborhood school and then close two of them - plus a magnet school - to add one.
"It's just funny when people make such a huge deal about having a neighborhood school and then close two of them - plus a magnet school - to add one."
Good point, but I have read in previous posts that Dr. Horton was tasked with finding a way to build/finance the Fifth Ward School. Perhaps this is why he was hired? Not clear.
Yes, I do think he was tasked with that, and I would guess it was part of interview conversations when he was trying to get the job. I'm also not totally sure that, when he was first hired, it was yet clear that trying to open the new school would automatically coincide with closing an existing one.
Thanks for the context. Why would certain board members (which ones?) specifically want to see Orrington closed? Am not familiar with the opposition to it
They view Orrington as taking resources away from black and brown kids, since it is the most wealthy and white school in the District. I shouldn't name names, since I don't have public statements, though. Just a hunch.
Please when talking about children could we not describe them as тАЬblack, brown and wealthy whiteтАЭ. ThatтАЩs how we got into this mess. They are children who need to be educated.
Geographically, closing Kingsley or Lincolnwood make sense. Willard serves a chunk of kids NW of Gross Point and Crawford that would not have a walkable option.
KingsleyтАЩs lot is weird, though, and LincolnwoodтАЩs land is probably super valuable. Those kids could split between Willard and Kingsley.
All that said, they donтАЩt really make decisions based on rational reasons, so who knows what they will do.
One question, why is King never mentioned as a possible closure?
Yeah it's too bad this whole thing is going to be rushed because I think there are smart long-term plans they could've come up with that involve transitioning Kingsley into something else (like relocating Park School to a more central location). I think they waited too long to come up with a buildings plan and now just have to do whatever to not go bankrupt.
I think this is probably the correct timeline
Why do you think eastern/NE schools would close? Which ones might that be?
Well, there are three schools in very close proximity:
- Lincolnwood is 4 blocks west of Kingsley
- Fifth Ward School is about 4 blocks south of Kingsley
So I think it one of those will have to close and they'll probably suggest relocating the staff and all the things in the building over to the Foster school.
Everyone says that Orrington is going to close and I'm sure 4 of the Board members would love to see that, but I just don't see that happening - the parents there would sue and it would blow up busing costs even worse.
I think this makes sense if just one northern school (i.e. Haven feeder) closes. However, they probably have to close a second school. Do they close a second northern one, or a school elsewhere in the city? What a mess.
Unless they converted King Arts into a neighborhood school and reassigned Walker students there, I'm not sure where else they could logically consolidate. Upon opening Foster (if/when), I'm guessing the total projected population of the four schools up north totals well below the capacity of two of those schools. It's just funny when people make such a huge deal about having a neighborhood school and then close two of them - plus a magnet school - to add one.
"It's just funny when people make such a huge deal about having a neighborhood school and then close two of them - plus a magnet school - to add one."
Good point, but I have read in previous posts that Dr. Horton was tasked with finding a way to build/finance the Fifth Ward School. Perhaps this is why he was hired? Not clear.
Yes, I do think he was tasked with that, and I would guess it was part of interview conversations when he was trying to get the job. I'm also not totally sure that, when he was first hired, it was yet clear that trying to open the new school would automatically coincide with closing an existing one.
Thanks for the context. Why would certain board members (which ones?) specifically want to see Orrington closed? Am not familiar with the opposition to it
They view Orrington as taking resources away from black and brown kids, since it is the most wealthy and white school in the District. I shouldn't name names, since I don't have public statements, though. Just a hunch.
Please when talking about children could we not describe them as тАЬblack, brown and wealthy whiteтАЭ. ThatтАЩs how we got into this mess. They are children who need to be educated.
Makes sense. Thank you for the follow up answer
Geographically, closing Kingsley or Lincolnwood make sense. Willard serves a chunk of kids NW of Gross Point and Crawford that would not have a walkable option.
KingsleyтАЩs lot is weird, though, and LincolnwoodтАЩs land is probably super valuable. Those kids could split between Willard and Kingsley.
All that said, they donтАЩt really make decisions based on rational reasons, so who knows what they will do.
One question, why is King never mentioned as a possible closure?
Yeah it's too bad this whole thing is going to be rushed because I think there are smart long-term plans they could've come up with that involve transitioning Kingsley into something else (like relocating Park School to a more central location). I think they waited too long to come up with a buildings plan and now just have to do whatever to not go bankrupt.