ASPIRA charter to shut Haugan Middle School over enrollment drop, nearly 'million-dollar deficit,' CEO says

Another Chicago charter school network has decided to close one of its schools, citing falling enrollment, increasing costs and inadequate funding.

The ASPIRA network, which operates three publicly funded but privately managed charters under Chicago Public Schools, approved closure of its ASPIRA Haugan Middle School campus by a unanimous 6-0 board vote Wednesday.

Located in Albany Park on the Northwest Side, the school enrolls 89 students in grades 6 to 8 this year and is set to close at the end of June.

“It was a difficult decision and recommendation I gave to the board,” ASPIRA CEO Edgar Lopez said.

He said the middle school is “running close to a million-dollar deficit,” and he criticized the school district for its funding model that he said doesn’t help charter schools enough. He also said a new union contract with the school’s teachers has brought additional costs that are greater than the school’s funding.

“The environment in Chicago is not supporting charter schools,” Lopez said. “We have tried different ways to recruit. CPS has made it very difficult to recruit.”

ASPIRA has operated in Chicago since 2003 and wants to maintain its two high school campuses — Business and Finance, and Early College.

But ASPIRA’s charter agreement is up for renewal soon — its current seven-year deal with CPS ends June 30.

The charter network has consistently been renewed since the mid-2000s — the seven-year agreement in 2018 being its longest.

ASPIRA opened Haugan Middle School in 2006 with 506 students. Its enrollment remained steady for more than a decade, peaking at 592 kids in the 2011-12 school year. But a nosedive started in 2017 that saw the school lose about 100 kids every year for several years, reaching today’s low.

Chicago's population declines in some neighborhoods have affected many of the city's charter schools, just like traditional public schools.

Another charter network, Acero Schools, cited similar enrollment and funding trends when it tried to close seven of its 15 schools late last year. Outraged by what they called the largest closings of Latino-majority schools in Chicago history, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Board of Education threatened to not renew Acero’s charter agreement, accusing Acero officials of failing to cooperate with inquiries and efforts to save the schools.

The board took the rare step of directing CPS officials to intervene, and the district developed a plan that is set to save at least five of the Acero schools.

In ASPIRA’s case, a CPS spokeswoman said charter leaders informed district officials of their preliminary decision in December, and CPS told the school board a few days later.

“Charter school funding follows a student-based budgeting model to comply with state funding regulations, meaning that schools receive funding based on the number of students enrolled,” CPS said in a statement. “ASPIRA Haugan has seen a significant decline in enrollment over time, which has resulted in a reduction in funding from both the state and CPS.”

The spokeswoman said ASPIRA officials also cited “a strategic shift away from maintaining a middle school model within the charter network.”

Lopez said he has “had conversations with CPS about the closure. We will be having more conversations in the next few days.”

Charter operators have control over whether to maintain or close their schools. CPS has no authority to force a charter network to keep its schools open.

CPS said all 43 eighth graders at the middle school have completed high school applications for next fall. The district said it would help the remaining 46 children who would have remained at the school.

All of those kids could stay in the same school building. That’s because ASPIRA Haugan is in the same facility as North River Elementary, a CPS-managed school. Officials said North River has space to take in all 46 kids if they choose to stay there — though their schooling would look different with a new staff and curriculum. Otherwise, there are four other district-run schools within a one-mile radius: Belding, Edison, Haugan (a different school with the same name) and Henry elementaries.

ASPIRA Haugan has 10 teachers who would be displaced. Nine have the necessary license to work in other CPS schools, officials said, and will get interviews with CPS to continue working in the district.

CPS and ASPIRA are both planning to host informational sessions for parents and staff.