Closing Schools is a Hate Crime

Bowen High School

James H. Bowen High School is a distinguished institution committed to educational excellence and community service. Founded as an elementary school in 1876 at 93rd and Houston Avenue, it evolved into a high school by 1882, originally named South Chicago High School. The need for a new high school became apparent with the community's growing population. An article in the Hyde Park Herald on May 15, 1906, announced plans for a "Model High School." The school was named after James H. Bowen, a key figure in South Chicago's development and co-founder of the Calumet and Chicago Canal and Dock Company. The new high school opened in January 1910, accommodating 600 students from the old South Chicago High School, with formal dedication on June 7, 1911.

Dyett High School

Dyett High School was originally established in 1972 as a middle school; Dyett transitioned into a high school in 1999 to serve the students of Chicago’s South Side. The school, named after the influential music educator Walter H. Dyett, has a legacy connected to notable musicians like Nat King Cole and Dinah Washington.

In 2012, Chicago Public Schools announced plans to phase out Dyett, a decision that was met with strong opposition from the community. The community's resilience and determination were evident in the 34-day hunger strike in 2015, which attracted national attention and ultimately led to the school's reopening in 2016. The school has a unique focus on arts education and sustainability through green technology.

Gresham Elementary

Walter Q. Gresham, home of the lions, was named after Walter Quintin Gresham, an attorney and politician who served in the cabinets of presidents Chester A. Arthur and Grover Cleveland. The school was built in 1895 with eight original classrooms. The school was enlarged twice with multiple additional classrooms. The building was renovated in 2013. Today, it contains 42 classrooms and serves 317 students. AUSL (Academy for Urban School Leadership) is a Chicago nonprofit school management organization tasked with transforming student educational outcomes. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) turned over the management of Gresham School of Excellence to AUSL in 2014 as a turnaround school.

Harper High School

William Rainey Harper High School opened in 1911. The school was named in honor of William Rainey Harper, an educator who served as the president of the University of Chicago and Bradley University. Most of the school's students were African-American after rezoning in the early 1970s. Harper was a site of learning, community, joy, and cultural celebration. In 2008, Harper was the first public school in Chicago to participate in the Turnaround project. On February 12, 2018, the Chicago Board of Education decided to phase out and close Harper in 2021.

Dr. Kylee Coney interviewed a 2021 Harper alumna who was a part of the last graduating class. The student stated, "Most of the kids who really cared got on board! They stayed with meetings, they signed papers, they went on Saturdays, they went out they way to try to fight to keep it open. They wrote letters to talk to the Board of Education, they talked to the reporters that responded, like – students that you didn’t even think would have the vocabulary or that Harper didn’t even impact them or that they just came to school to have fun was there. They wrote speeches and did stuff that you didn’t even think they knew how to do just because they wanted to keep this place open. Even though in the end it didn’t rule in our favor – it was like, we really gon’ lose something that’s a piece of us."

Hope Middle School

John Hope was a public high school and former middle school in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. It opened in 1971 and was named after African-American educator and religious leader John Hope. The middle school was reinstated for the 2002–2003 school year but again phased out after the 2006–2007 school year. In 2019, the Chicago Public Schools decided to expedite Hope High School's closing due to a lack of student enrollment. Hope officially closed in 2020. Currently, Kipp Bloom College Prep School occupies the entire Hope campus.

Under the Renaissance 2010 program, several charter high schools were opened nearby, and parents could choose from schools district-wide. Renaissance 2010 was a program of the Chicago Public Schools school district pushed by for-profit education companies. The Renaissance program called for 100 new schools by 2010. Under Renaissance 2010, the Chicago Public Schools closed over 80 public schools and sought to create 100 charter schools by 2010.

May Community Academy

May Community Academy, a cherished part of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood since its establishment in 1905, was more than just a school. It was a place where students, teachers, and caregivers came together to learn and build a community. Despite its historical significance, May was unfortunately slated for closure and closed its doors at the end of the 2012-2013 school year.

Overton Elementary

Anthony Overton Elementary at 221 E. 49th St. in the Bronzeville neighborhood was built in 1963. The school was named after Anthony Overton, a Black business leader and founder of the Chicago Bee, a Chicago-based weekly newspaper. Ida B. Wells was an editor of the newspaper, and the Bee sponsored the original "Mayor of Bronzeville" contest, which led to the use of the term "Bronzeville" for the neighborhood. Anthony Overton Elementary was closed in 2013 by Chicago Public Schools.

Irene Robinson, a key facilitator of this project and a Chicago resident whose six children and several of her grandchildren attended Overton, called the school closures a “hate crime.”

Orr High School

Rezin Orr Academy High School is named after labor leader Rezin Orr. Orr opened in 1918 as an elementary school and gained high school students in the 1920s. Orr is bordered between West Garfield and Humboldt Park.

Dr. David Stovall summed up Orr High School as Closure in Many Forms. "Orr is one of the few CPS schools that have experienced several forms of closure.  I've tried to revisit the numerous forms of closure with the concept of discontinuity and what it means for historically disinvested communities in Chicago. Even though Orr is currently 'open,' the numerous forms of closure make it extremely difficult to preserve any memory of what the school once was."

Price Elementary

Price Elementary is named after Florence B. Price. Florence was a composer, pianist, and music teacher. She was the first African American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer. Price Elementary served students in the North Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago. Price Elementary opened in 1964 and was phased out and ultimately closed in 2013.

Parrish Brown, former Price student stated, "Fighting for your community is to fight for your people, and to fight for your people is to fight for yourself. So fight for your schools, hospitals, grocery stores, parks, housing, history, and rights to continue to exist”.

Ryerson Elementary

Ryerson Elementary, a cherished community hub, opened its doors in 1939. It was a place where local friends were made and generations of families found their educational home. The closure of Ryerson in 2013 was a significant loss to the community.

Chaz Owens interviewed Lynell P. Mitchell, a Ryerson class of 1971 graduate, who expressed the sentiment shared by many: "It's almost like it was a historic building named Ryerson, and then they took that from us, the way they usually take a lot of things from us, and we don't understand why, but we have to have to deal with it."

Paul Robeson High School

In Rememberance of Paul Robeson High School by Angie Spencer.

"Paul Roberson High School was a public four-year coed High School in the Englewood Community at 6835 South Normal Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60621. School District #299, Network 11, grades 9-12. This High School opened in September 1977 and was affectionately named in honor of a great African American entertainer and athlete, Paul Roberson. Paul Roberson High School was formerly known as Parker High School from 1901 to 1977. Paul Roberson High School was a valuable part of the Englewood Community, proudly represented by the colors gold, scarlet, and black.

The Roberson Raiders boys' teams were boasted of and known for their superior athletic ability. They competed successfully in basketball tournaments and football games, winning many championships! The Lady Raiders represented the girls teams. The students and the entire Englewood Community mourned the loss of such a proud legacy located in the heart of Englewood and attended by famous rappers Lil Durk (Durk Banks), Famous Dex (Dexter Gore Jr., and Young Chop( Tyree Pittman), record producer and rapper. 

Paul Roberson High School permanently closed its doors to the Englewood Community on June 12, 2018, devastating many families. It was later demolished in September 2018."

Betsy Ross Elementary

Betsy Ross Elementary served students in Washington Park. Betsy Ross was named after an upholsterer credited by her relatives with making the first American flag. Besty Ross was home to many amazing students, like Lorraine Hansberry, the first African-American female author to have a play performed on Broadway, and Joyce Brown Tyler, a socialite, Howard University graduate, and daughter of Sydney P. Brown, a former VP of the Chicago Board of Education.

Betsy Ross closed in 2013. Parents, teachers, and community members spoke out against the closing of Betsy Ross and shared how the school was a vital part of the community. Today, the school remains vacant and city-owned.

Schiller Elementary

Schiller Elementary opened in Cabrini Green. Parents asked for a moratorium on school closings, and argued that Cabrini Green community members had a right to return to their local schools, according to the UN Charter on human rights. Many students were sent to schools in Old Town and Lincoln Heights. Schiller Elementary was closed in 2009. Schiller later reopened as Skinner North, a selective enrollment school.