Current students at three Englewood high schools will now be able to graduate after district officials made an abrupt change to a plan that would close four South Side high schools this year.
It is described as the “state of the art campus.” The plan was to merge TEAM Englewood Community Academy High School, Harper High School and John Hope Academy with Paul Robeson High School to create a new multimillion dollar building at 6835 South Normal Blvd. this summer.
However, after a series of public hearings where parents and students voiced their opposition, the district decided to tweak the plan.
The head of the nation’s third largest school system, Janice Jackson, announced a new proposal where the schools will gradually phase out instead, to allow current students enrolled to graduate according to plan.
“We can’t do good public policy if we are tone deaf,” expressed Jackson. “People say it to us clearly that they think that the children should have an opportunity to transition if they choose to, or to stay in the schools and graduate if they choose to.”
Paul Robeson High School is still said to close this summer.
