CPS revokes Aspira’s ability to operate charter schools in Chicago in rare move

The Chicago Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to end its contract with the financially troubled Aspira charter network — the only time the school district has revoked a charter in the middle of the school year.The charter will officially become inactive on April 4 and students will not be able to enroll at an Aspira school for next year.Aspira’s two high schools started the school year with about 600 students, but the campuses are being emptied out. Aspira’s leaders said the organization didn’t have enough money to continue operating through the end of the school year, while the district said state law forbade it from continuing to float Aspira as much cash as it needed.Board members did not comment before they canceled Aspira’s contract, but in the past, several said Aspira’s poor financial management necessitated the closure. They also said they felt terrible about the students having to transition midyear. Related Former Aspira students try to adapt after troubled charter operator closes schools midyear The last time the school board took the dramatic action of revoking a charter contract was in December 2019, though there have been other instances in which the school board did not renew a charter contract, or a charter operator decided to walk away. Over the past 10 years, more than 20 privately run charter or contract schools have closed in Chicago.CPS interim CEO/Supt. Macquline King said she and her staff did not recommend Aspira’s charter revocation lightly.“It follows a period of intensive monitoring of…

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