Sign the No New Charter Petition & Protect Our Public Schools
Our local neighborhood schools are too valuable to lose students and funding to a new charter school expansion. Tell the state Board of Ed that our community does not support the proposed new campus at Our Lady of Victory. Please SIGN and SHARE the petition TODAY!
A new HSA Belmont charter campus was approved by the IL State Board of Education and is in final negotiations to purchase the former Our Lady of Victory school (4434 N. Laramie Ave.) for a new 7-12th grade campus. A new charter school campus would siphon critically needed state public dollars from district public schools and have a damaging impact on underfunded Chicago Public Schools and communities. The IL State Board of Education should not overrule the locally-determined moratorium on charters and allow this new campus to move forward.
The very concerning history of the school's inception and operator, Concept Schools Inc., presents significant reasons for pause, including federal allegations of criminal activities, investigations of illegal political activity (international money laundering and fraud), a financial relationship with former IL House Speaker Madigan, and a history of union busting. Concept Schools Inc. charter schools have not met academic, financial and operational standards, including how well they meet the needs of students in special education and students learning English.
We oppose a new state-run 45th Ward charter campus and need YOUR help to tell the IL State Board of Education to rescind their approval for this school to move forward.