Chicago Public Schools announced on Mar. 18 a series of virtual and onsite community meetings to gather input on future capital investments. The meetings are designed to help the District prioritize repairs, renovations, and programmatic enhancements across its school buildings.
The initiative aims to involve students, teachers, staff, and community members in decisions about maintaining and improving school facilities. According to CPS Interim Superintendent/CEO Dr. Macquline King, “The community meetings ensure students, teachers, staff, and community members have a say in how their schools can improve structurally. This input ensures that schools are creating welcoming and comfortable school environments that allow students to focus on learning.”
CPS manages 522 campuses with 793 buildings averaging 86 years old. The Department of Facilities regularly assesses these structures to identify critical maintenance needs such as roof repairs, mechanical systems updates, electrical work, plumbing improvements, and accessibility upgrades. The District is also seeking feedback through a Capital Survey open until April 30.
During the current school year, CPS became the first K-12 district nationwide to earn Gold Certification from the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges program for sustainable facility management practices. Chief Operating Officer Charles Mayfield said, “The Capital Survey plays a crucial role in capital planning. They provide us with the opportunity to listen to the families that our investments aim to serve. By engaging with our communities, we can develop plans that are not only financially sound but also backed by our school communities.”
Since fiscal year 2017, CPS has invested over $3 billion in capital improvements including major renovations for safety and comfort as well as ADA upgrades for accessibility. Chief Facilities Officer Ivan Hansen said, “Relying on community input ensures our capital investments aren’t just District-wide improvements. But ensures meaningful changes that meet the specific, day-to-day needs of every school we serve.”
Community meeting dates include both virtual sessions (April 14 and April 16), onsite sessions at Colman Office (April 21), and a Spanish-only virtual session (April 28). Registration information is available online.
