Education

‘It Is an Investment in Our Future’: CPS Announces 16 New Sustainable Community Schools

Chicago education officials on Monday announced plans to expand wraparound supports for students, families and staff at 16 schools as part of the city’s Sustainable Community Schools model.

Mayor Brandon Johnson joined Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Teachers Union leaders at the South Shore Cultural Center to announce the SCS expansion, which nearly doubles the number of sustainable schools in the city.

“Until our schools become community hubs in every single neighborhood, we will not see real transformation,” Johnson said. “Sustainable Community Schools is truly the future of public education, not just in Chicago, but across America.”

Launched in 2018, CPS based its SCS model around engaging academic curriculum, high-quality teaching, wrap-around supports, restorative justice discipline, parent engagement and inclusive school leadership.

By the end of the 2024-25 academic year, 20 Chicago schools were classified as sustainable community schools, but after Monday’s announcement, that total has jumped up to 36.

Interim CPS CEO Macquline King called that expansion a “significant step forward in our investment in education.”

“It is an investment in our students,” she said. “It is an investment in our community. It is an investment in our future.

The new sustainable community schools announced Monday include:

• Ira Aldridge Elementary School
• Austin College and Career Academy High School
• Belmont-Cragin Elementary School
• James H. Bowen High School
• Cesar E. Chavez Multi-Cultural Academic Center
• George W. Collins Academy STEAM High School
• James R. Doolittle Elementary School
• Englewood STEM High School
• Stephen F. Gale Community Academy
• Harold Washington Elementary School
• Gurdon S. Hubbard High School
• Stephen T. Mather High School
• McCutcheon STEAM Elementary School
• Richard J. Oglesby Elementary School  
• Telpochcalli Dual-Language Elementary School
• George Washington High School

Johnson said those schools will see additional mental health support, more mentorship programs and community-oriented events and increased access to job and housing resources.

The mayor’s remarks come as CPS officials work to close a major budget shortfall before the district’s final spending plan for fiscal year 2026 is due later this month. King in June said total funding required to cover all district expenses was more than $730 million, though WBEZ more recently reported that gap has been cut down to around $569 million.

CPS, city and CTU officials have all been pressuring state legislators to increase funding to the historically underfunded school district, though it’s not yet clear if those efforts will yield results this budget cycle.

Johnson on Monday said conversations are ongoing.

“Look, it’s going to take all of us to ensure that our schools are fully funded,” he said before citing a study that found 71% of Illinois residents want more funding for public schools. “That’s the type of impetus motivation I believe that any elected official would want to have as we work to ensure that every single child has access to a high-quality education.”

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