State Legislature Allocates $50 Million for High-School Aimed at Sloop, Chinatown and Bridgeport

 A new article talking about a high-school for the Sloop and other neighborhoods (via Gazette):

The Illinois General Assembly earlier this year set aside $50 million in its capital budget to construct a new high school in the Near South area to service Chinatown, Bridgeport, and South Loop. 

“I was really pleased that it did make it into our capital budget,” said Representative Theresa Mah (D-2nd), who proposed the appropriation. She noted Chicago Public Schools (CPS) administration “is on board, and we will be starting the process of planning for the high school with robust community engagement. The origin of this project comes from the desire from the community to have a high school.

“There are a number of leaders in the Chinatown community—leaders and organizations—that have been involved over the years,” Mah continued, citing David Wu, Pui Tak Center executive director, and the Coalition for a Better Chinese-American Community (CBCAC) as local stakeholders who have helped realize the vision for a high school. 

Mah stated she has not heard of any opposition to the high school from constituents or other stakeholders. “I would be surprised, just because there’s been years and years of activism around this,” she said, noting that, when CPS tried to convert the National Teachers Academy into a high school, “there was opposition to the conversion.” CPS abandoned the effort after a court injunction halted it. 

The article doesn't provide a ton of additional info on timetables or next steps, but good to see this news.  Where the highschool would be located is also uncertain but given that it's intended to serve Chinatown and Bridgeport as well we assume it might be outside of the traditional Sloop boundaries or maybe towards the southern edge.