Chicago DUers with kids in school:

[frazzled]

1. I don't have kids in school, but ...

I read the local news, which is the extent of my knowledge.

All of the school buildings proposed for closing are being consolidated into other schools (which are also said to be underutilized). So it's really a question of schools being consolidated. There are also some "co-locations"--programs being moved to another school as a "school within a school." Six schools have been proposed for turnarounds. You question sounds as if you might think programs are being closed down, and that people are simply left in the cold on their own. That's not really the case: they will be reassigned to other schools or can choose to go elsewhere to another program.

On local NPR yesterday I heard a discussion. Families can choose to go anywhere in the city, including magnet schools like Science and Math Technology, etc. Of course, there is probably more demand than spaces in a lot of the "good" schools. Or they can go to the newly consolidated school.

The biggest issue here has been safety: kids having to cross gang lines, which are very specifically neighborhood bound. That is why they closed no high schools, because that is where the gang/safety issue is greatest.

Here's a list of the buildings to be "closed," that is, consolidated into other buildings, co-located, or turned around.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-cps-school-closings-20130321,0,2802079.htmlpage