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Years After Merger, Courtenay Facing Same Problems Stockton Faced

By Josh McGhee | January 7, 2016 6:26am | Updated on January 9, 2016 11:28am
 A new report from CPS labeled Courtenay Language Arts Center underutilized.
A new report from CPS labeled Courtenay Language Arts Center underutilized.
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DNAinfo/Josh McGhee

UPTOWN — Three years after the controversial merger of Joseph Stockton Elementary School with Courtenay Language Arts Center, the school is now considered "underutilized," according to a new report from Chicago Public Schools.

Courtenay, at 4420 N. Beacon St., is one of 313 schools that aren't efficiently using their buildings and enrolling the right number of students, according to the report, which looks at whether schools have too few or too many students based on their space and resources, among other factors. It also labeled 229 schools efficient and 23 schools overcrowded.

At Courtenay on Tuesday, parents weren't sure what to make of the numbers, but hoped the reports wouldn't lead to overcrowded classrooms or more school closures.

"Courtenay has a long history of keeping classes small. That's why we're here," said one mother, who refused to give her name. "I question how they come up with their numbers," she added, asking whether CPS was taking into account special education students.

The report is based on a controversial formula that multiplies their ideal classroom population of 30 by 75 percent of the classrooms in a school to determine the ideal attendance. In 2013, the report was used to justify the closure of 50 schools.

"Underutilization continues to be a challenge for the district, and we are evaluating potential opportunities to improve facility utilization to maximize resources and strengthen school environments," CPS spokesman Michael Passman said. "The proper utilization of district facilities is an important factor in ensuring CPS makes the most of its limited resources."

Courtenay has 531 students, about half of its ideal capacity of 1,050, the report said.

During the 2014-2015 school year, parents and teachers described the third floor, which housed the middle school classrooms, as "a war zone" because of fights fueled by the clash of kids from Courtenay and the former Stockton.

At that time, CPS expected about 720 students at the school, but only 620 students attended that year. Numbers from this year show the school's enrollment has continued to decline.

At the time of the school closures, Stockton had about 500 students, was on academic probation and on the list of possible closures. Conversely, Courtenay, a lottery school of about 300 students at 1762 W. Berteau Ave. in Ravenswood, was never on a list of potential school closings. Despite opposition, the Chicago Board of Education decided to merge the two schools into the Stockton building under the Courtenay name.

Staff from Courtenay refused to comment on the report. The Chicago Teachers Union has said it is concerned with the formula and that it could lead to more closures.

Principals dispute the formula and its results. Schools with what could be considered extra space often use the rooms for special education, tutors and health clinics among other things, said Sarah Hainds, a spokeswoman for the teachers union.

“We definitely feel this has been used as a tool for punishment," Hainds said. "It’s not a tool for planning and collaboration and talking about 'What do we need? What do we want?' This is a tool that people dread ... And that’s scary."

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