Parents Alarmed by Dumpsters Filled With Discarded Books Found Outside Chicago High School

CPS under scrutiny as book disposal sparks citywide debate over waste, donation practices, resources in midst of huge budget deficit, contract negotiations

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CHICAGO — Carl Schurz High School on the Northwest Side is facing criticism after dumpsters filled with discarded books were discovered outside the campus. The books, ranging from Shakespeare to science textbooks, were spotted on Friday, echoing similar incidents across Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in recent years.

CPS confirmed that the disposal was part of its standard “weeding” process, in which older and outdated materials are removed to maintain a current collection. However, the district has faced questions about why the books were not donated or recycled. A CPS spokesperson stated that all books removed were outdated editions, in line with district policy.

However, in addition to works by Shakespeare, among the discarded titles were "Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard" by Mawi Asgedom, and Peter Mayle’s "A Year in Provence, raising concerns about the school’s method of disposing of educational resources. Parents argued these were not books to become "outdated", criticizing CPS for carelessly disposing of usable resources considering the unanimously approved $9.9 billion spending plan for this school year in addition to CPS suffering from a $505 million budget deficit.

This latest occurrence comes amid broader concerns about resource allocation in school libraries across the country. A Crain's report noted that 15% of school librarians had no access to funding for new materials during the 2020-21 school year. The juxtaposition of book disposal and the lack of resources for other schools has raised eyebrows about how educational materials are managed within the district.

The issue of discarding books is not new to CPS. In 2022 Lake View High School was found disposing of literary works. Parents took offense at what books were thrown out which included copies of August Wilson's "Fences," Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," and Arthur Miller's "The Crucible." At that time, the principal also claimed that this was just an example of the regular weeding process to remove books containing inaccurate or dated information.

In that case, a parent also discovered important documents with personal information, raising additional concerns about proper handling of sensitive materials.

As CPS continues to focus on maintaining modern collections, some community members are questioning whether alternative solutions, such as donating books to underfunded schools or charitable organizations, are being overlooked. The practice of discarding educational resources as current district policy, continues to prompt debate over the future of resource management within the city’s schools.

CPS stated that a formal response would be issued Monday.