Key Investments in CPS’ Back-to-School Initiatives

Posted by on August 4, 2011 in Education | Comments Off on Key Investments in CPS’ Back-to-School Initiatives

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - EducationMayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Jean-Claude Brizard Tuesday announced key investments that supported CPS’ Back-to-School initiatives and went door-to-door in the Auburn-Gresham community to remind parents and students about the first day of school.

“Excellence in education starts with excellent attendance, and the support CPS’s Back-to-School initiatives have received from our city’s business and community leaders confirms just how invested Chicagoans are in our students’ success,” said Mayor Emanuel. Tuesday’s door-to-door visits were part of a comprehensive back-to-school school campaign to promote strong attendance habits during the 2011-2012 school year. Early Start Schools (Track E) began on Monday, Aug. 8th and Regular Start Schools (Track R) begin on Tuesday, Sept. 6th. The new corporate sponsors that have agreed to support CPS’s back-to-school efforts through generous donations include:

  • Wal-mart Stores Inc. committed $25,000 to support the CPS Door-to-Door campaign;
  • Clear Channel Communications Inc. committed to promoting CPS’s back-to-school messages through radio, digital, and billboard platforms with in-kind contributions valued at $120,000;
  • Target Corp. committed $3,000 to the school with highest first week attendance in a high-truancy area;
  • Harris Bank committed $12,000 to sponsor the Safe Haven end of summer back-to-school rally;
  • Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality committed $45,000 to purchase Back to School Kits, which include notebooks, pencils, erasers, and other vital school supplies.

Last week, Groupon offered a special deal in support of CPS’s back-to-school campaign which allowed Chicagoans to purchase school supply kits for low-income students. Groupon’s deal raised $15,000 to purchase more than 1,200 Back to School Kits. CPS encourages parents to check with their school and visit www.cps.edu/firstday to be sure they know the correct start date for their child’s school. For more information, parents can call CPS’s back-to-school hotline at (773) 553-3CPS (3277). They can also contact their school directly to confirm start dates.

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