LINCOLN SQUARE — If Pathways In Education truly intends to open an alternative high school in Lincoln Square, that would be news to Ald. Pat O'Connor (40th).
The charter operator recently filed one of 17 letters of intent to Chicago Public Schools, proposing to serve high schoolers and to open in 2018. Under "proposed communities," Pathways listed Lincoln Square and Roseland.
O'Connor, who shares the neighborhood with Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th), told DNAinfo via email: "I have had no contact with Pathways, an alternative school, since their attempt to move in on Western Avenue north of Lincoln two years ago."
In 2015, Pathways, which operates three campuses in Chicago, had set its sights on 4816-20 N. Western Ave., and even furnished the building and listed the location on its website, which caught the neighborhood by complete surprise.
At the time, O'Connor, whose ward includes the Western Avenue site, called Pathways' actions "premature." A zoning change request for the building was eventually shelved.
The furnishings have since been removed and the property remains vacant.
"The building they sought to go into at that time was not appropriate for a school and was objected to by the City of Chicago, including but not limited to, the Chicago Fire Department, as it did not meet the standards required for a school," O'Connor said.
The building still doesn't meet those standards, suggesting Pathways would likely be eyeing a different location, O'Connor said.
Any site within his ward's boundaries would be a "non-starter," Pawar said.
For his part, O'Connor said: "I have had no communication from the Board of Education or Pathways and do not anticipate that they will be looking to locate in the boundaries of the 40th Ward."
Efforts to reach Pathways for comment were not successful.
Pathways was one of four companies approved in 2014 by CPS as part of an expansion of programs aimed at struggling students and dropouts, technically referred to as Alternative Learning Opportunity Programs. Total cost of the expansion was placed at $6 million, with Pathways to receive approximately $1.3 million in "incubator" funds to open new campuses.
In total, Pathways was approved to enroll up to 1,200 students. Its agreement with CPS terminates June 30, 2018.
Two other charter operators — Concept and Intrinsic — have also attempted to open in Lincoln Square, specifically in Bowmanville, which sits in O'Connor's section of the ward.
Both withdrew their proposals after facing vocal opposition from residents.
In a prepared statement, CPS responded to the latest charter applications: "Letters of intent mark the first step in an extensive application and review process, and we are committed to considering only proposals that demonstrate academic quality, community support and ability to address an existing need in the city."
Pathways' existing schools in Chicago are located in Ashburn, Avondale and Brighton Park. The Ashburn and Brighton Park campuses have attained the second lowest out of five quality ratings from CPS. The Avondale campus achieved one level higher, earning it the middle ranking from CPS.
