MOUNT GREENWOOD — A $20 million annex would bring seventh- and eighth-grade students to the campus of the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, according to a list of construction projects under consideration that was published Monday.
The addition to the magnet school at 3857 W. 111th St. in Mount Greenwood was mentioned in a report by WBEZ 91.5 FM. The Chicago radio station said it obtained the "secret" list this spring.
Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) neither confirmed nor denied the report in a statement Monday afternoon.
"There are a wide variety of capital needs at schools throughout the 19th Ward. The Board of Education has already invested millions of dollars expanding campuses at both Cassell and Mount Greenwood Elementary," O'Shea's statement read.
"Moving forward, I will continue to examine options to alleviate overcrowding and address other pressing facility needs throughout our community," said O'Shea, who wouldn't comment beyond the statement.
Ag School Principal William Hook did not return a call or text message seeking comment.
O'Shea spoke openly about bringing a junior high annex to the Ag School as part of his 2015 re-election campaign. After the win, he said the addition would likely work as feeder program for the school that teaches agriculture to urban students.
The pulling seventh- and eighth-graders into the new program would also help ease overcrowding at the nearby schools, O'Shea said then.
Besides the project at the Ag School, the WBEZ article also said Chicago Public Schools plans to build new high schools on the Northwest Side, in the Loop and on the South Side in Englewood.
"If construction is okayed and set in motion this fall, some of these new schools should be ready to open in 2018," the report said.
The final $338 capital budget is still subject to the Chicago Board of Education's approval at its next meeting on Wednesday.
