"New Eastside" School
TO PERSERVE OUR HISTORIC NAME SINCE THE 1980's
The NEAR presentation on November 16, 2004 by the Chicago Public School Chief Operating Officer, Sean Murphy raised many questions that our community hoped would be answered. It may be a good time to review the "requirements" of the original Planned Development #70 on the original developer in 1969. There were 3 complete amendments approved by the Chicago City Council in 1979, 1993, and 2001. Unlike the original PEDWAY requirement that was gradually shortened and then reappeared as "approved" by Chicago, but the financial obligation was shifted to"others" by the latest lead developer - Lakeshore East. However, the school "structure" requirement has remained relatively unchanged for the past 37 years. Apparently only $3.5 million of the required $12 to 15 million (2004) is now considered the responsibility of the current developer. And both the school district's financial problems and the state's problems may be a cause for significant delay. As a reference for discussion, here's the actual wording from the original PD #70 document and the 3 complete (legal) Amendments:
1969 - "An area to be reserved for public school purposes shall be located at Arcade Level in a structure north of and fronting on the public park; the location, design and specifications subject to the review and approval of the Chicago Board of Education and approval by the Department of Development and Planning."
1979 - "An area to be reserved for public school purposes shall be located in a structure with access by walkway to the public park; the location design and specifications subject to the review and approval of the Chicago Board of Education and approval by the Chicago Department of Planning, City and Community Development."
1993 - "An area to be reserved for public elementary school purposes shall be located in a structure with access by walkway to the Public Park; the location, design, and specifications the review and approval of the Chicago Board of Education and approval by the Department of Planning and Development and in accordance with the provisions of the 1993 Amendatory Lakefront Ordinance."
2001 - "A public school is also anticipated to be included within the development." (page 1.1)
"A future school zone at the northeast corner of the park shall be designated. Prior to construction of the school, this area shall be designed and built to similar open space standards as the rest of the park for interim open space use. The future school will share space for Chicago Park District facilities." (page 5.6) "The school building shall be compatible with its park setting. The building footprint shall not exceed 22,500 square feet and the building may include up to three storys or a maximum height of 60' above the building entrance. School facilities may also be shared with the Park District. The building has a prominent location in the park and views of the roof from surrounding properties should be considered in the design of the building. Sloped and/or landscaped roofs are encouraged. The school's design should be coordinated with the overall design of the park and specifically the location of the playground. Passenger dropoffs should be located along the curb of Park Drive. Surface parking shall not be allowed within the school grounds or park. Visitor parking should be on-street. A minimum of 20-30 spaces teacher parking will be made available at convenient locations in Lakeshore East's public parking. " (page 6.4)
Report by Department of Planning and Development to Chicago Plan Commission dated March 15, 2001: "The developer would also construct a public school/field house structure in the northeast corner of the park prior to December 31, 2008 in accordance with the 1993 amendment to the Planned Development." (page 3)
2002 - City Council Journal page 88988 – 6/19/2002 “Provided the applicant is instructed to proceed by the City of Chicago, the Chicago Board of Education, and the Chicago Park District, and provided with specific building specifications no later than June 30, 2002, the applicant will be responsible for the construction of a forty- five thousand (45,000) square foot portion of a fifty-three thousand (53,000) square foot structure to contain a public elementary school with space to be shared with the Chicago Park District to be substantially completed on or before June 30, 2004.”
This page was last updated: November 9, 2012
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Added 2006
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Comments regarding school and park "structure"
ADDED October, 2008
This is the text from the 8 Power Point slides that were briefly presented at the October 6, 2008 NEAR meeting:
“Charter schools appeal to students whose needs are not being met by traditional public schools. In Chicago, most charters have waiting lists, some with over 400 names. If more students apply than a school can accommodate, a lottery is held to determine admission.”
http://www.lqe.org/progproj/CSRC-AllAboutCharters.htm
Charter Schools Resource Center (CSRC), Leadership for Quality Education (LQE)
EXAMPLE OF HIGH SCHOOL LOTTERY
The high school campus of the University of Chicago Charter School has received more than 500 applications for 160 openings. A public lottery will be held to select new high school students on Thursday, March 23 at 1:30 p.m. at the North Kenwood/Oakland Campus; 1119 E. 46th St. In addition to North Kenwood/Oakland, the University of Chicago Charter School has a campus at Donoghue, 707 East 37th St., which opened last fall. The high school will give priority to applicants who are eighth-grade students at NKO, applicants who live in the high school’s attendance area and applicants who are siblings of students at the University of Chicago Charter School. The attendance zone, requested by Woodlawn community leaders, was approved by the CPS board on March 22. The boundary is essentially from 60th Street to 67th Street and from Stony Island Avenue to Evans Avenue.
Ref: CSRC-LQE website
By law, charter schools in Illinois must be open to all students in the city, be non-religious, be tuition-free, and be designed to serve a substantial portion of “at-risk” students.(Chicago Charter Schools foundation website)
…charter schools in Chicago received approximately 85% of the funding received by traditional Chicago public schools. The level of funding for charter school students in Chicago is among the lowest per-student reimbursement rate in the nation.
In addition to revenue from the public school system, CCSF solicits donations for special projects and to finance organizational growth.
Each NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL restricts enrollment based on their individual attendance boundaries. However, a school may elect to enroll students outside their attendance boundaries depending if there is space, and or if it has a magnet cluster program. However, full magnet schools, are open to student enrollment citywide, provided that applicants meet a level of high academic standards: living near a magnet school does not guarantee admission.
From Wikipedia, (not confirmed by addl. sources)
Community Academies These schools provide comprehensive instructional programs in reading and mathematics with an enriched curriculum in a selected area.
Attendance-area students accepted first
Students from outside the attendance area are accepted depending on available space
There are no racial guidelines for enrollment
Restricted Transportation Service
Specialty Schools These schools offer a programmatic focus similar to those of magnet schools.
Attendance-area students accepted first
Students from outside the attendance area are accepted depending on available space
There are no racial guidelines for enrollment
Restricted Transportation Service
Magnet Schools Magnet schools offer curriculum around a specific theme, such as computers and technology, environmental studies, and fine/performing arts.
Students admitted through computerized lottery based on space and desegregation goals
Sibling lotteries and proximity lotteries can give you an advantage in being accepted
Restricted transportation service
What is a computerized lottery?
Computerized lotteries are conducted to ensure that all children have an equal chance to be accepted at a school. The names of all applicants are entered into the computer, and the computer randomly selects students to fill the spaces in each grade. There are three types of lotteries:
Sibling lottery: conducted only for students who have brothers or sisters in the same household who already attend the school to which they are applying. Schools may accept up to 45 percent of all entering students through the sibling lottery.
Proximity lottery: conducted at magnet schools only. This lottery is for students who live within a 1.5 mile radius of elementary magnet schools, and a 2.5 mile radius of magnet high schools. A magnet school may accept up to 30 percent of its population from students who live within these limits. Proximity lotteries will only be conducted at magnet schools that have not achieved the 30 percent requirement.
General lottery: conducted for all students who are not included in the sibling or proximity lotteries. A percentage of students not selected through the lottery are placed on waiting lists, which will be maintained until June 2007. (Ref. CPS website)
1. ORIGINAL SCHOOL LOCATION
3.
4.
2.
SCHOOL LOCATIONS -- Started at #1 (original 2001)...by 2011 #4 was back to the original location.
RESIDENTIAL NEW EASTSIDE
BUSINESS NEW EASTSIDE
Exceptions:
Columbus Plaza
Park Millennium
Millennium Plaza
ADDED JULY, 2012:
There was no public notice, no public hearing, no public knowledge, and no public discussion on this 2002 Plan Commission and Chicago City Council "approved Amendment", so there remains a question whether it was a legal Zoning Amendment to Planned Development #70. This 2002 wording seems to take Lakeshore East off-the-hook for being responsible for the 2001 "structure in the northeast corner of the park". However if the 2002 Amendment was never properly approved by the city, then the current lead developer remains responsible.
