Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Chicago Public Schools Recommends Expanding Military School

By Victoria Johnson | December 7, 2012 5:40pm
 Ames Middle School sign announcing community meeting about converting the school to a military school, Nov. 1, 2012.
Ames Middle School sign announcing community meeting about converting the school to a military school, Nov. 1, 2012.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Victoria Johnson

LOGAN SQUARE — Though Chicago Public Schools officials have not officially endorsed a plan to replace an existing Logan Square middle school with a Near West Side military academy, a Friday afternoon announcement indicated they might be moving in that direction.

In a press release sent out Friday afternoon, CPS said it would recommend adding the seventh and eighth grades to the Marine Math and Science Academy at the Chicago Board of Education's monthly meeting on Dec. 19. Ald. Roberto Maldonado has pushed a plan to move the academy to the site of Ames Middle School and add the extra grades as a way of including some current Ames students at the new school.

Parents of Ames students were outraged when they caught wind of Maldonado's proposal. They felt Maldonado (26th) didn't seek enough community input on the matter and dozens packed an Ames classroom Nov. 1 to voice their disapproval.

At the time, CPS said only that it was working to gather feedback from the community on the proposal.

CPS spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler said Friday that a possible location for the expanded Marine Academy was still up in the air.

"At the December Board meeting, CPS will recommend that Marine Math and Science Academy expand by adding two grades," she wrote in an email to DNAinfo. "Separate from that, we will work with our families and the community to determine a strategic location for the school keeping in mind our goal of providing a high quality option for every child in every neighborhood and based on the needs of our students and their families."