Chicago Public Schools has put 20 former school campuses out to bid once again, with the hopes of seeing them repurposed.
Chalkbeat Chicago reports that the property sales could bring in around $8.2 million and enable the district to avoid spending more on future upkeep.
“Our goal is not to sell them for the highest dollar amount, really. It’s to find the most responsible, compatible use,” said Stephen Stults, director of real estate for the district. “What we get paid, of course, helps with our budget challenges. But they’ve been sitting there long enough, and we need to do everything we can to try to get them repurposed.”
Most of the school buildings up for sale were closed in 2013.
Stults said Chicago spends between $100,000 and $150,000 a year to maintain and secure each vacant school. That’s at least $2 million annually for the past 12 years — or $24 million.
Even though many vacant schools are not in great condition, Stults said the “bones of the buildings” are good.
If there is no demand for certain vacant schools, he added, the district plans to reach out to sister agencies, such as the Chicago Park District, to see if they’re interested in the properties.
Vacant schools are a visible reminder of the 2013 closures, which disproportionally affected Black children from low-income families. Many community groups and neighbors near these properties have called for reinvestment in these public assets for many years.
