catalyst-chicago.org

School districts across the country are facing pressure to improve classroom performance under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, but are giving short shrift to problems like bad lighting or poorly heated classrooms that can affect learning, says a spokesman for the American Federation of Teachers.

"It's a topic that doesn't get nearly enough discussion in the education dialogue," says spokesman George Jackson. "We don't talk about the [buildings] where we expect students to go and hit all these [legislated] benchmarks. It can't be a separate conversation."

Mayor Richard M. Daley's ambitious $1 billion plan to build 24 new schools and overhaul three others inched forward in November when aldermen asked the City Council's finance committee to consider a bond package worth up to $800 million.

For its part, Chicago Public Schools recently borrowed an extra $75 million—the first of its $400 million commitment—atop its usual construction bonds.

The finance committee is expected to vote on the bond package in December. If approved, the package would then go for a full council vote.

Almost a third of the city's community areas—23 of 77—have school overcrowding problems. Fourteen of the 23 communities have been overcrowded for a decade, and a major capital improvement plan launched in 1996 has brought little relief. One CPS official admits the district is only "treading water" in solving overcrowding.