To build on the record-setting academic progress being made in Chicago schools, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson announced on Tuesday that nearly 17,000 CPS students at 32 schools across the city will gain access to high-quality programming next school year as part of the largest-ever program expansion in district schools. CPS’ remarkable financial turnaround — due in large part to the education funding reform that families and city leaders fought to achieve in 2017 — has positioned the district to invest $32 million in new programs that were requested through a first-of-its-kind application process that empowered school communities to apply for new high-quality programs including International Baccalaureate (IB), STEM and Dual Language. To ensure the success of these programs, which will benefit a student population that is 80 percent low income, CPS will be providing the 32 schools, including Belmont-Cragin Elementary School, Columbia Explorers Elementary School, and Hawthorne Elementary School a total of $32 million over the next six years to support staffing, training, learning resources, and other elements needed to ensure programs are successfully implemented. To view the full program, view https://cps.edu/SchoolData/Pages/SchoolData.aspx.