Earlier today, August 4, Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago Public Schools, and the Chicago Teachers Union announced that the Sustainable Community Schools initiative will expand from 20 to 36 campuses for the 2025–26 school year. In his announcement, Johnson characterized the initiative as a “deeper investment” into communities that have historically been overlooked in reform strategies. Sustainable Community Schools offer on-site health care, mental health counseling, comprehensive trauma-informed care, restorative justice, and out-of-school-time learning programs. Austin, Belmont Cragin, and Englewood have been prioritized for the expansion as these areas, along with their students and families, tend to face disproportionate challenges to opportunity. Johnson, who began his public service career as a teacher on the West Side, emphasized the need for strong neighborhood schools to build community anchor institutions for stability and opportunity. He reiterated the city’s objective, which is for every child in Chicago, irrespective of zip code, to receive the requisite support to thrive.
The model Sustainable Community Schools started operating in 2018, under the premise that schools should serve as the principle centers of support for families and the entire community surrounding the school. Each school is partnered with a local nonprofit that aims to address and support the child’s academic, social, and emotional development. Dr. Macquline King, interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools, said the expansion is “an investment in our students, our community, and our future,” equity mission. Chicago Board of Education President Sean Harden voiced support for the plan, tying the program to a larger strategy of “shared responsibility” for student outcomes. In December 2023, the Board of Education passed a resolution prioritizing community schools as part of the five year strategic plan, Success 2029: Together We Rise. For CTU President Stacy Davis Gates, the expansion responds to a decade of neighborhood school closures and fights for local governing control. She highlighted that the schools serve as places where students access food, healthcare, and counseling, as well as academic support, rather than mere classrooms.
District officials say work is already underway for the 16 new schools, with planning meetings and community outreach starting just days after the announcement. School leaders and nonprofit partners are walking through each campus, looking at what’s already in place and what’s missing, from after-school supports to mental health resources. Each school will get targeted funding and extra guidance from the district as they shape programs to fit their students and families. CPS administrators have stressed that closing opportunity gaps and raising up student voices is central to how this expansion will be measured. Selection of these campuses came down to a mix of need, readiness, and the unique strengths each neighborhood brings to the table. For many of these schools, it’s the largest single investment in support services they’ve seen since the program’s start in 2018. The district and its partners will be tracking how things unfold, promising to share updates as the new school year approaches and the SCS model rolls out in classrooms and hallways across the city.
Schools selected for the next expansion phase of the Sustainable Community Schools program:
- Ira Aldridge ElementaryAustin College and Career Academy
- Belmont-Cragin Elementary
- Bowen High School
- Chavez Multicultural Academic Center
- Collins Academy STEAM High School
- James R. Doolittle Elementary School
- Englewood STEM High School
- Stephen F. Gale Community Academy
- Harold Washington Elementary School
- Gurdon S. Hubbard High School
- Stephen T. Mather High School
- McCutcheon STEAM Elementary School
- Richard J. Oglesby Elementary School
- Telpochcalli Dual-Language Elementary School
- George Washington High School