Overcrowding is not the only problem facing our school buildings. In some schools, there are still physical problems that interfere with learning. Poor electrical systems, for example, make it difficult or impossible to run the computers that have become an important part of our kids’ education. Leaky roofs may mean that students must stop and shift their desks to the other side of the classroom, creating interruptions in learning. Or bad heating systems create distractions that hurt our children’s ability to learn. Finally, some schools don’t have the types of up-to-date facilities – science labs, computer centers, even auditoriums and lunchrooms – all of which are needed for a 21st Century education. In addition, delayed or neglected building Renovations & Upgrades mean that schools may have to pay more costly expenditures than initially budgeted.

School Repair: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

In March 2001, NCBG completed its analysis of the Chicago Public Schools' 2002-2005 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), the five-year plan for fixing and modernizing our schools and building more classrooms. The good? CPS has completed about $2.3 billion in capital improvements since 1996, including a dozen elementary schools, three high schools, and 53 elementary school additions. The bad? CPS hasn't always lived up to its lofty promises. Three-quarters of all planned elementary school projects, for example, are unfunded, and $229 million worth of projects have disappeared without a trace from the CIP. The ugly? Chicago alone has $2.5 billion in unfunded school capital needs, and Illinois as a whole must come up with $9.2 billion to solve its school modernization crisis. Meanwhile, future National and state revenues to help local districts meet the burden are drying up.

Read the Executive Summary of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Contact NCBG for 2002-2003 repair updates and spending!
Download the entire report, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in Adobe Acrobat format.