In the heart of Chicago’s West Side, North Lawndale stands as a community grappling with the scars of educational neglect, where schools have long been underenrolled and underfunded due to decades of systemic disinvestment and policy shifts. A transformative $41-million initiative, launched by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Hall, seeks to breathe new life into this struggling neighborhood by reimagining three local institutions—Chalmers Elementary, Johnson Elementary, and Collins Academy High School—as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) academies. This substantial investment over the first two years aims to tackle a persistent enrollment decline in a predominantly Black and low-income area, offering not just upgraded facilities but a renewed promise of opportunity. However, the question looms large: can such a significant financial commitment truly reverse deep-rooted challenges that have plagued these schools for generations? Beyond the infusion of funds, this effort is about restoring trust in a community wounded by past closures and reforms. As CPS confronts underenrollment affecting nearly a third of its schools amid shrinking city populations, North Lawndale’s experiment could either pave the way for broader revitalization or serve as a stark reminder of the complexities involved in educational reform.
Unpacking the Past: A Legacy of Disinvestment
The roots of North Lawndale’s educational struggles stretch back to the early 2000s, when policies under mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel reshaped Chicago’s public school landscape. During this period, CPS leadership, including figures like Arne Duncan, who later became U.S. Secretary of Education, leaned heavily on charter schools and selective enrollment programs, often at the expense of traditional neighborhood schools. Following the No Child Left Behind Act, schools in high-poverty zones like North Lawndale were frequently labeled as failing based on standardized test scores, triggering waves of closures and turnarounds. This approach led to a dramatic shift in student distribution, with charter schools in the area increasing from three to seven over time, drawing significant numbers away from local campuses. Today, only about 30% of North Lawndale students attend their assigned neighborhood schools, leaving buildings like Chalmers operating with just 210 students in a space designed for 600. The impact of these decisions has been profound, stripping schools of the resources needed to maintain robust academic or extracurricular offerings and deepening a cycle of decline that this new initiative hopes to break.
Beyond policy shifts, demographic and socioeconomic factors have compounded the crisis in North Lawndale. Over the past decade, CPS has seen a citywide loss of 70,000 students, driven by families leaving Chicago and declining birth rates, trends acutely felt in this West Side neighborhood. The 2013 mass closure of 50 schools across the city, including one in North Lawndale, further shattered community trust, as did earlier turnarounds at schools like Chalmers and Johnson, where entire staffs were replaced. These disruptions not only displaced students and families but also eroded the sense of stability that neighborhood schools once provided. Now, with nearly one in three CPS schools operating at half capacity or less, the financial burden of maintaining underutilized facilities limits investment in quality education. The $41-million plan emerges as a response to this historical disinvestment, aiming to rebuild both infrastructure and confidence in a community that has borne the brunt of past educational experiments.
A New Vision: Community Roots of the STEAM Plan
Unlike the top-down reforms that characterized previous decades, the North Lawndale STEAM initiative stands out for its grassroots origins, driven by the vision and persistence of local advocates. Spearheaded by community leaders like Betty Allen-Green, a retired principal, the effort took shape within a broader 2018 Quality of Life Plan for North Lawndale, which addressed interconnected issues like housing, safety, and economic opportunity alongside education. Initially, the proposal called for a $65-million STEAM school that would consolidate three underenrolled campuses, an idea modeled after a similar project on the South Side. However, opposition from families and the Chicago Teachers Union, still wary from past closures and heightened concerns during the pandemic, led to a significant pivot. Instead of shuttering schools, the focus shifted to renovating and rebranding the existing Chalmers, Johnson, and Collins campuses, preserving their roles as neighborhood anchors while infusing them with cutting-edge resources. This community-driven approach marks a departure from past CPS strategies, reflecting a desire to heal old wounds rather than inflict new ones.
The scope of the STEAM transformation is ambitious, backed by $10 million in city tax dollars for economic development alongside additional CPS funding. Upgrades at the three schools include state-of-the-art engineering spaces, computer labs, arts studios, 3D printers, and coding robots, complemented by professional development for educators to deliver specialized curricula. The intent is clear: to create neighborhood schools that rival the appeal of charter or magnet programs, enticing families to return. Mayor Brandon Johnson, with his background in the teachers union and opposition to school closures, has thrown his support behind the project, symbolically choosing Chalmers to kick off the 2024 school year. CPS officials view this as a potential template for collaboration with other underenrolled communities, emphasizing the value of local input in shaping educational reform. Yet, the challenge remains in convincing skeptical families that these changes signal a lasting commitment rather than a fleeting experiment.
Testing the Waters: Challenges to Enrollment Growth
As the STEAM initiative unfolds, it aligns with a broader CPS shift under recent leadership to prioritize neighborhood schools over the school choice model that dominated past decades. A school board resolution in late 2023 sought to increase the percentage of students attending local schools, though it encountered resistance from Black and Latino families on the South and West Sides who value access to magnets and charters. CPS has since clarified that it aims to balance these preferences with a renewed focus on community hubs, and the North Lawndale project serves as a critical testing ground for this approach. Preliminary data from the 2024 school year, however, shows enrollment at Chalmers, Johnson, and Collins holding steady rather than surging, prompting questions about the immediate impact of the $41-million investment. Supporters contend that public awareness of the changes is still building, suggesting that growth may come with time as word spreads about the upgraded facilities and programs.
Nevertheless, significant obstacles stand in the way of sustained success for this initiative. Chicago’s shrinking school-age population poses a persistent barrier, as does competition from other underenrolled schools nearby, where any gains in North Lawndale could simply shift students from one struggling campus to another. Financial sustainability is another pressing concern for a cash-strapped district, with the current funding covering only the initial two years of the project. Maintaining new positions, ongoing teacher training, and facility improvements will require additional resources, a challenge given CPS’s broader budgetary constraints. While the initiative enjoys $1 million in philanthropic backing and little vocal opposition, some parents remain on the fence, waiting for tangible evidence of improved academic outcomes before considering these schools for their children. The uncertainty underscores the complexity of reversing decades of enrollment decline through investment alone.
Community Voices: Balancing Optimism and Skepticism
On the ground in North Lawndale, perspectives on the STEAM initiative vary, reflecting a blend of hope and caution among those most directly affected. School leaders, such as Romian Crockett, principal of Chalmers, emphasize the importance of focusing on quality education for current students, regardless of whether enrollment numbers climb in the short term. This mindset prioritizes creating a nurturing and innovative environment over chasing metrics, with the belief that a strong foundation will eventually draw more families. Meanwhile, community advocates like Allen-Green are pushing for aggressive marketing strategies—new banners, updated websites, and prominent signage—to ensure residents are aware of the transformations taking place. CPS officials, particularly those in the STEM Department, highlight the unique strength of the project’s community-driven design, suggesting that its alignment with local needs sets it apart from previous reform efforts that often ignored resident input.
Parents, however, bring a more guarded outlook shaped by historical experiences with neighborhood schools. Some, like Angela Dixon, a Chalmers parent, appreciate the proximity and supportive atmosphere of their local school but admit to being unaware of the STEAM upgrades, pointing to a critical gap in outreach efforts. Others, such as Blaire Flowers from the West Side, recognize the potential of specialized programming to make these schools more attractive but remain hesitant due to past issues like high teacher turnover and limited resources. This skepticism reflects a broader challenge of overcoming decades of negative perceptions and mistrust, even as CPS rolls out promising reforms. The diversity of views underscores the need for sustained engagement with families to ensure the initiative’s benefits are both understood and felt in tangible ways.
Scaling the Model: Lessons and Limitations
Looking beyond North Lawndale, the STEAM initiative raises important questions about whether such a costly and time-intensive effort can serve as a replicable model for other underenrolled neighborhoods across Chicago. With a development timeline spanning seven years and a $41-million price tag for just three schools, the project’s scale poses significant hurdles to widespread adoption. Education finance experts note that while investing in high-poverty schools is a moral imperative, there’s no guarantee that themed academies or similar innovations will consistently boost enrollment, especially given broader demographic trends. CPS’s own history offers cautionary tales, such as the Englewood STEM high school on the South Side, which cost $85 million and saw initial enrollment growth taper off to 630 students from a peak of 830, alongside disappointing attendance and graduation rates compared to district averages. These outcomes suggest that even substantial investments may struggle against systemic challenges.
Despite these concerns, the consensus among community leaders and policy analysts remains that withholding resources from underserved students is not an option. The North Lawndale project, with its strong local support and alignment with CPS’s renewed focus on neighborhood schools, represents a hopeful experiment in reversing decline through targeted, community-led reform. However, scaling this approach citywide would require innovative funding mechanisms and a streamlined process to avoid the long gestation periods and high costs seen here. As districts nationwide grapple with similar enrollment drops, lessons from North Lawndale could inform strategies elsewhere, provided there’s a clear framework for balancing investment with realistic expectations. The path forward hinges on adaptability and a commitment to addressing both educational and socioeconomic factors driving families away.
Looking Ahead: Building on a Bold Start
Reflecting on the journey so far, the $41-million effort to transform North Lawndale’s schools into STEAM academies marked a significant departure from past CPS strategies, prioritizing community input over unilateral decisions. The renovations at Chalmers, Johnson, and Collins, coupled with specialized programming, aimed to mend the fractures caused by historical disinvestment and closures that had once hollowed out trust in the neighborhood’s educational landscape. While early enrollment figures showed little immediate change, the initiative sparked a dialogue about the value of investing in underserved communities, even amidst uncertainty about long-term outcomes. It stood as a testament to the power of local advocacy in shaping reform, setting a precedent for how collaboration could redefine struggling schools.
Moving forward, the focus must shift to actionable steps that ensure this investment yields lasting impact. Strengthening outreach to families through consistent communication about the STEAM programs’ benefits could bridge awareness gaps, while securing ongoing funding will be crucial to maintain the momentum of facility upgrades and teacher training. CPS might also consider piloting smaller-scale versions of this model in other neighborhoods, learning from North Lawndale’s experience to refine costs and timelines. Ultimately, success will depend on addressing the broader demographic and systemic issues at play, ensuring that this bold start evolves into a sustainable blueprint for educational equity across Chicago.
