In Englewood: A Night of Concern
PowerPoint presentation on the overview of the legal process for the closing of John Hope College Prep. Photo by Ebony Ellis
Englewood residents are fighting for Hope᠆ not only in keeping spirits alive but the historic neighborhood high school.
Though Englewood has the sixth largest high school age population in the city, Hope is the fourth Chicago Public High School in Englewood to close, following the close of Paul Robeson, William Rainey Harper and TEAM Englewood Community Academy High Schools.
According to Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor (20th Ward), “The school closings are not fair; they’re racially motivated and biased."
On the evening of Jan.14, Kershaw Elementary, located at 6450 S. Lowe Ave, held a community meeting about Hope’s closing. The announcement about the closing of Hope became public on Dec. 1, 2017.
Even though there is an obvious concern for the future of education in the Englewood community, the turnout of the meeting would suggest otherwise.
About 20 people attended, a majority of them were Chicago Public Schools Staff and security for Kershaw Elementary.
Megan Hougard, CPS Chief of Schools for Network 11, spoke on the legal process of the school closing and offered an overview of the proposed school action. Hougard explained, CPS holds two community meetings and a public hearing prior to proposing any recommendations to CPS Board members.
Shakita Thomas, a Hope alumni, and now a graduate student studying Education, Curriculum, and Instruction at the University of Minnesota, decided to attend the meeting, while home for break. “I care about what is occurring within the community and the field of education as a whole,” Thomas said.
During the public comment section, Hougard allotted two minutes per person. Thomas spoke, asking, “How did this happen?” referring to Hope’s decreasing enrollment.
According to Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the closing recommendation was due to a high percentage of students seeking other options, and the need for a state-of-the-art campus in the community. At the end of the 2018 - 2019 school year, 20 students were enrolled at Hope; compared to the 2006 enrollment rate of 1,015 students when Thomas attended.
All of the closing schools have a few things in common; they’re in the same neighborhood and they all had an impact on all of those who had the privilege of learning and teaching there. Kurt Hilgendorf, Liason for the Legislative Committee on Chicago Teacher Union is one of many to witness the impact of HOPE. He was a former History and Economics teacher at Hope from 2006 through 2011.
“What actually makes up a school isn’t the building; what makes a community is the shared sense of history and the shared sense of relationship that exists in that school,” Hilgendorf said during his allotted public comment.
The Englewood Community Action Council (CAC) had several meetings since Jan. 2017, addressing the needs of high schools in Englewood. CPS acted on the recommendation to build Englewood STEM. In 2019, the high school opened, and there is a 414 freshman student class size alone.
Englewood STEM High School has an outdoor sports facility, a medical center accessible to students and community residents, and an opportunity to earn credits towards an associates degree or advanced certificate. While Hilgendorf referred to the building as beautiful, he commented on its impact.
“There’s still not enough resources and there’s not enough investment to give the kids the experience that they deserve,” Hilgendorf said. “And you don’t do anything to remedy the real psychological and emotional scars that come from losing prized institutions in the neighborhood.”
Hope College Prep High School is scheduled to host another community meeting on Jan. 23 at Kershaw Elementary and a final public hearing at the CPS Central Office on Jan. 29. All are welcomed.
CPS Scheduled Meetings regarding the closing of John Hope from CPS.