The New School
The New Foster School construction project is making progress. Over the years the new school has generated numerous headlines and it is reassuring to see a real product taking shape. Here are some of my thoughts on the issue that the incoming board members will have to address, adapted from one of my answers to the Kuumba/Black SonRise candidate forum from January 12.
The Foster School construction project has been burdened with great expectations by its proponents and condemned as the source of the district’s financial woes by its detractors. I have my doubts about whether the new school will correct an historic injustice. I don’t think that is how injustice works but I do think there is a strong case to be made for the presence of a school in the fifth ward. The fifth ward is centrally located and densely populated. It makes sense to have big city buildings close to where the people are. I agree that the process to secure the lease certificates for the school was carried out under dubious circumstances but I think the project is bearing disproportionate blame for the current financial crisis. The new school will be just that: a school. It will be an asset in the cause of educating the children of the community that the board and administration will have to leverage to its fullest capacity.
I don’t think there is anything to gain by cancelling the project, and finishing it will bring new challenges. The completion of the new Foster School will have to be accompanied by the closure of one or more other schools. District 65 has about 6,000 students according to the Illinois Report Card information from 2023-2024 (Link). It also has 12 schools that service the elementary age population (ten K-5 schools and two K-8 magnet schools). The new Foster School will bring that number to 13. Palatine school district, CCSD 15, has about 11,000 students, almost double the population of Evanston’s schools. Palatine has 14 elementary schools (Link). Finishing the new Foster School and ensuring that it is ready to receive students on time will be a real test for the new board members.
