July 6, 2018
I am very excited to announce that the City of Chicago is making a major investment in our local, 50th Ward schools! Significant improvements are coming to Rogers Elementary School, Decatur Classical School, and Armstrong School of International Studies.
I have been working on all of these project for a long time, and I am very pleased to finally be able to make this announcement.
Rogers and Decatur will both be receiving large additions to the existing buildings. It was just announced, so many of the details are still being worked out, but these projects are major, multi-million dollar investments in our neighborhood schools.
Rogers is horribly overcrowded. Our children deserve the proper amount of space at school, where they can focus on their studies without bumping elbows with the kid in the next desk. The new annex should relieve that overcrowding and give the school plenty of room to grow.
The addition will include a new lunchroom, classrooms, specialty spaces, and support areas. The school will also receive a new playlot and walking path.
Decatur will also be receiving an annex addition that will allow the school to expand to accommodate 7th and 8th grade students. It is tremendously difficult for current Decatur students to seek a new school for 7th grade then again for high school. This new expansion will allow them to complete their elementary education in one school, and will remove a major source of stress for the children.
The new linked annex will include a lunchroom/multi-purpose room, gymnasium, library, classrooms, and specialty spaces. The school will also receive a new playlot and parking lot.
Armstrong will be receiving a brand-new outdoor recreational and play area. The project will comprise 18,000 square feet of proposed improvements, including a large synthetic turf, a floor hockey court, and a walking/running track. It will enhance the physical education and recreational activities at the school, and provide an active space for community use.
The students at Armstrong are desperately in need of an outdoor space to exercise and play, and I have been advocating for this for a long time. I am very pleased that it is finally becoming a reality.
Thank you to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS for agreeing to make such a large investment in our 50th Ward schools. If you have any questions, please contact the 50th Ward Office at (773) 262-1050 or info@50thwardchicago.com.
