A charter school network has announced plans to close seven of its 15 campuses in Chicago.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that families and educators were left reeling after the board of directors of Acero Schools decided to close the schools at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Acero CEO Richard Rodriguez says the decision to shut down nearly half of its Chicago schools was prompted by a 1,400-student enrollment decline over eight years, increases in costs to staff and facility maintenance and the dwindling Chicago population.
The schools that will close: Casas, Cisneros, Fuentes, Paz, Santiago and Tamayo elementary schools and Cruz K-12. The network of schools operates primarily in Latino neighborhoods. About 2,000 students--about one-third of the enrollment in Acero’s schools--will be affected.
Rodriguez says Acero needs to be “nimble” in the face of a change toward charter schools compared with 10 years ago.
“Our city looks very different now,” he said. “Chicago’s population has greatly decreased, and attitudes toward charter schools are increasingly polarized and political.”
The Chicago Teachers Union condemned Acero's decision, WFLD-TV reports.
"If Acero is allowed to move forward with this reckless plan, it will destabilize countless school communities," the teachers union says. "After committing to communicate with the union and partner to avoid school closings during negotiations over the summer, the charter management company has turned its back on its students and the entire educational community."
Advocates of charters have feared their schools would face more scrutiny after the Chicago school board said it intended to prioritize traditional neighborhood schools.
The Acero network said remaining schools will enroll the affected students
“They have had zero conversations with any of the members, any of the union leaders,” she said. “They did not inform us, meet to negotiate with us about any of this. They’re just making this decision unilaterally.”
The Chicago school board passed a resolution last month that put a moratorium on school closures through the 2026-27 school year. But that resolution applies only to district-run schools, not those operated by charter organizations.
