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As angst grows about the planned closure of seven Acero charter schools on Chicago’s Southwest Side, CPS suggested Thursday that the best option would be to support keeping five of the schools open.
The district’s recommendation came after nearly two-and-a-half hours of public comment during which teachers and families pleaded with the district to help save the seven campuses.
Acero charter network announced in October that before the 2025-26 school year, it would close seven of its schools — where more than 1,800 students are enrolled and staff are members of the Chicago Teachers Union — because of a $40 million budget shortfall. Since then, families and the union immediately launched rallies and began attending board meetings to press CPS to prevent the closures.
Alfonso Carmona, chief portfolio officer who oversees charters in the district, presented a slew of options during Thursday’s board meeting. These included transitioning the seven campuses into CPS-run schools, or just helping affected students enroll at district schools. Carmona said that based on the feedback they’ve received, “what we’ve heard from these families is that we should not close these campuses.”
But the option he ultimately recommended was more of a “hybrid” option: He said CPS supports keeping five of the seven campuses open and “phasing out” the other two, known as the Paz and Cruz campuses.
Under this option, the district would help Acero cover its budget deficit. Carmona said this could be the best option because it’s likely CPS won’t actually have to open its wallet under this scenario. He said the charter network would “break even” if it closed the Paz and Cruz campuses — both of which are for sale — because they both “contributed substantially” to the network’s projected deficit, according to a district analysis. He added that the buildings are in disrepair and would need significant investment.
“That will also allow enough time for us to also potentially transition those schools as district managed schools after the 25-26 school year,” Carmona said. It was unclear how many schools would potentially be absorbed.
Ultimately, the district would help students from Paz and Cruz enroll in CPS or charter schools, according to Carmona’s presentation.
Acero did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the CPS proposal. Acero operates a total of 15 charter schools in the city.
But it’s unclear what option the board will ultimately choose — or how soon. Sidestepping Carmona’s recommendation, Vice President Mary Gardner asked Carmona to provide more details by Monday on the option of absorbing all seven Acero campuses, which the district estimates would cost between $21 million and $28 million. Board member Michilla Blaise said the board is “working hard” to give families direction on the issue.
The district had planned to present most of these options at a special meeting last month, but the board canceled the presentation without explanation.
The board, which passed a resolution last month calling for Acero to address the board, has criticized Acero for not attending board meetings to discuss the issue. Acero subsequently sent the board a cease and desist letter, accusing the board of sharing defamatory statements about the network and its closure plans.
“There has been 200 children I think leaving Acero schools that we might not get back again, and that’s disrupting your community because people are scared and worried, so we’re trying to make sure we’re moving thoughtfully and with the appropriate guidance,” Blaise said to the families who attended Thursday’s meeting.
Acero’s charter schools are publicly funded but privately managed. The Acero network operates based on a contract with CPS, and the network announced the closures in accordance with rules set out in that contract.
The union and families have held rallies, attended multiple board meetings, and met with elected officials in an effort to save the campuses.
On top of dismaying Acero students and families, the planned closures have increased tensions between Mayor Brandon Johnson — a union ally and opponent of school closures — and Chicago Public Schools leadership. Johnson, who has generally been critical of charter schools, said he doesn’t want to see any school close and last month called for CPS to create a “contingency plan” for the closures.
Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.
