By: Ashmar Mandou
Chicago Public Schools earlier this week announced the first group of 28 high schools that will receive new, upgraded or renovated science labs as part of the district’s nearly $1 billion capital budget, which was released last week. “The future is now, and this investment will ensure that every student in every neighborhood has state-of-the-art science equipment to prepare them for rigorous college coursework and the jobs of the future,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “Every student in Chicago deserves to attend a school with high quality resources, and in the first year of this multi-year investment we are prioritizing schools with the most significant facility needs and those that serve minority and low-income students to ensure all of our students have an opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Chicago Public Schools chose the first group of 28 school communities based on facilities needs with a priority focus on school communities that mainly serve minority and low-income students. Through this $75 million, three-year investment, 82 total high schools from across Chicago will gain access to brand new state-of-the-art science equipment and a lab layout that’s designed to facilitate learning in the same location as experiments, which encourages collaborative laboratory activities that support student learning. This investment also supports the district’s realignment of its high school science curriculum and graduation requirements to provide a more comprehensive science education that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Over the next three years, 54 more high schools (82 total) will add or undergo renovations to their science labs as part of this $75 million investment.
Among the 28 high schools that will receive new or renovated science lab by the 2019-2020 School Year as part of the FY19 budget are:
Bowen High School (Renovations)
Curie High School (New Lab)
Juarez High School (New Lab)
Kelly High School (Renovations)
Steinmetz High School (Renovations)
