Shocking Charter School Closures: 7 Chicago Charter Schools Shuttered Leaving Communities Reeling

Chicago's Latino neighborhoods hit hard as Charter network faces enrollment decline

Cruz K-12 is one of the 7 schools Acero plans to close at the end of the 2024-2025 school yearPhoto byScreen Capture/Youtube Video [Creator]

CHICAGO — In a move that has left many families and educators stunned, Acero Schools, a charter network operating primarily in Chicago’s Latino communities, has announced the closure of 7 of its 15 campuses by the end of the 2024-25 school year.

The decision, revealed by the network’s board of directors, is the result of multiple factors, including a sharp decline in enrollment, increasing operational costs, and Chicago's shrinking population. Over the past eight years, Acero has seen a drop of 1,400 students, leading to this drastic measure to shut down nearly half of its schools.

Acero CEO Richard Rodriguez explained that the closures are a necessary response to the evolving educational landscape. “Our city looks very different now,” he stated. “Chicago’s population has greatly decreased, and attitudes toward charter schools are increasingly polarized and political.”

The schools facing closure include Casas, Cisneros, Fuentes, Paz, Santiago, and Tamayo elementary schools, along with the Cruz K-12 campus. This will impact roughly 2,000 students—about one-third of the network’s current enrollment.

Rodriguez emphasized the need for Acero to remain flexible amid changing attitudes toward charter schools, noting that the climate for these schools is far more challenging than it was a decade ago. “We need to be nimble in response to these shifts,” he said.

The announcement has sparked outrage from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), which has fiercely condemned the move. “If Acero is allowed to move forward with this reckless plan, it will destabilize countless school communities,” the union said in a statement. The CTU also expressed frustration over the lack of communication and negotiation, accusing Acero of turning its back on students and educators. “They have had zero conversations with any of the members, any of the union leaders,” a union representative said.

Despite the closures, Acero has assured that remaining schools in the network will absorb the affected students. However, this comes as Chicago’s Board of Education recently passed a resolution that imposes a moratorium on district-run school closures until 2027. Unfortunately, that policy does not extend to charter schools like those run by Acero, further complicating the situation for the affected communities.

Acero's website maintains that it will have conversations with Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teacher's Union as well as hold Town hall meetings as this proposal moves forward. After these discussion they state they will be better able to address questions regarding how this decision will effect studetns and unionized faculty. Additionally, the website states that they will keep one North Side school and transition remaining students to other Acero schools including Torres, Brighton Park, Marquez, Clemente, and Zizumbo Elementary Schools or "right-fit" public charter and neighborhood schools.

They state that this decision follows several years of "thorough investigation, research, analysis and third-party vetting to ensure Acero Schools can maintain their integrity while addressing economic challenges." The point out that Acero schools are unable to operate with a budget deficit like CPS schools are able to, as they are required legally to balance their budget.

According to the statement on the website not balancing their budget would, "jeopardize our charter, compromise our credibility with creditors, and hinder our ability to serve the communities we love. Despite having one of the leanest administrative operating costs among charter schools in the city and achieving strong academic results, Acero has reached a place where we cannot outcompete the economic and population changes we face without making changes."

They have set up a resouce page where families can obtain more information and updates on Acero's school consolidation efforts. Employees will be emailed a link where they can get more information on the changes mean for them.