catalyst-chicago.org

Jorel Moore’s story could be told by any number of Chicago students.

During his freshman year, school district officials announced plans to phase out his school. Each year, new schools moved into the building and his high school was edged out bit by bit. By the time he graduated, Jorel’s classes were squeezed into 1-1/2 floors of the four-story building. Some classes didn’t have enough chairs. The library was non-existent.

For the casual visitor, it’s easy to miss that Southeast High School in rural Kansas—once among the lowest academic performers in the state—is in the midst of a profound transformation.

Like so many other Kansas schools, the building in Cherokee (population: 722) shows the telltale signs of a suffering economy. Bus routes have been cut, as have supplies. Custodians, secretaries and cafeteria workers took an eight-day pay cut. During the harsh winters, students bundle up to make it through classes where the temperature hovers at an uncomfortable, but cost-saving 68 degrees.

SPRINGFIELD -- Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard and members of his staff were grilled for more than two hours by legislators who sharply questioned the district’s decision-making on school closings and turnarounds and called for a summit of the CPS facilities task force.