Education

Acero Charter School Network Planning to Shut Down 7 Chicago Campuses Next Year

(WTTW News)

A Chicago charter operator is planning to shut down seven of its campuses, potentially forcing more than 2,000 students to find new schools.

Acero’s Board of Directors on Wednesday adopted a resolution that allows for what it calls the “strategic reorganization of school operations,” a move that would lead to the closures of Cruz K-12 and Casas, Cisneros, Fuentes, Paz, Santiago and Tamayo Elementary Schools.

Under that plan, those schools would begin “winding down operations and close” in June 2025.

“This anticipated transition 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 charter network said in a statement.

“This announcement is not made lightly,” the statement continued. “It is made with compassion and an unrelenting commitment to the individuals we serve. We hope to welcome as many transitioning scholars as possible to our other network schools and manage this difficult transition with integrity, mindfulness and clarity of mission.”

The charter network — which currently operates 15 schools — said it does plan to continue operating one North Side campus and will transition students in affected schools to Acero’s remaining campuses or other schools.

Acero said the closures, which are not yet finalized, were spurred by declining enrollment, increasing personnel and facilities maintenance costs and inadequate school facilities.

The move reportedly came as a shock to students and families, some of whom called board members “cowards” during Wednesday’s meeting.

In 2018, Acero teachers launched what was believed to be the first-ever charter strike in the U.S. over their demands for smaller classes, wage increases and guaranteed protections for undocumented students and families.

While the Chicago Board of Education approved a resolution last month preventing the closure of district-run schools until after the 2026-27 academic year, that measure did not cover charters.

The closures could affect nearly 2,000 students and at least 270 teachers and school-based staff, according to the Chicago Teachers Union, which issued a statement late Wednesday saying it “unequivocally condemns this move.”

“If Acero is allowed to move forward with this reckless plan, it will destabilize countless school communities,” the CTU said in its statement. “After committing to communicate with the union and partner to avoid school closings during negotiations over the summer, the charter management company has turned its back on its students and the entire educational community.”