Overview
- The Board of Education voted unanimously to convert ChiArts into a district-run magnet and set aside $1.5 million for the transition, pledging to preserve its conservatory "to the greatest extent practicable."
- CPS estimates an additional $600,000 is needed this year to maintain the conservatory and up to $5.5 million annually thereafter, with members committing to revisit long-term funding in January after community engagement.
- CPS said ChiArts will shift to district management effective July 1, 2026, with citywide admissions under magnet and selective-enrollment policies and a transitional advisory body to guide continuity.
- EPIC Academy will close in June after receiving $1.4 million to finish the school year, with its new building lease to be terminated, the property reverting to CPS, and emergency funds monitored with any unspent dollars returned.
- The board directed CPS to offer EPIC students enrollment at district-run schools and provide job opportunities for qualified EPIC staff at receiving campuses, while members highlighted equity concerns over closures that have historically fallen on Black students.