Chicago Public School administrators held the first of a series of town hall meetings Thursday night about a controversial new high school on former public housing land at 24th and State.
The CPS Chief of Family and Community Engagement Adrian Segura acknowledged during the meeting that Illinois State Representative Theresa Mah threatened to pull state funding if there is not true engagement with the community.
"We've heard that Representative Mah is threatening to pull the $50 million funding. Our commitment through this process is and will continue to be to work tirelessly," Segura said.
CPS said it would engage the community. During the online meetings, the engagement was answering questions that had been submitted in writing, in advance or during a live stream.
"Why are we building a school on CHA land? Why this school in this region? We're providing CHA with replacement basement land that is just adjacent," Segura said.
Segura explained the school would not only be for affluent families, but it would be a neighborhood school, not selective enrollment in an area with a growing population.
The $150,000,000 school would serve 1,200 students.
