CHICAGO -Fifteen additional Chicago Public Schools will soon become vibrant community hubs that offer wraparound support and partnerships with community-based organizations to provide well-rounded, integrated care for students.
The latest expansion will bring the total number of Sustainable Community Schools to 51 across Chicago, with 19 more planned next year, reflecting the District’s continuing commitment to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of students and families.
“Every child deserves a school that opens doors not only to academic success, but to the opportunities and support that strengthen entire families,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson.“Expanding Sustainable Community Schools reflects our commitment to investing in neighborhoods, empowering communities, and creating learning environments where students can thrive.
When we strengthen our schools, we strengthen the future of Chicago.”
The SCS model, inspired by historic hunger strikes and launched in 2018 as a joint initiative, is born from the collective bargaining agreement between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union with the goal of centering community voice and collaboration to address both academic and non-academic needs. The model treats the neighborhood as a “village” and pairs schools with community-based organizations to provide integrated support, including health and wellness services, trauma-informed care, restorative justice practices, and expanded after-school learning.
“Sustainable Community Schools demonstrate what is possible when schools, families, and community partners work together with a shared purpose,” saidCPS CEO/Superintendent Dr. Macquline King.“The expansion of this model means we are creating more opportunities for students to succeed academically while ensuring they have access to the services, relationships, and supports that help them reach their full potential.”
Planning and community engagement for the 15 newly selected schools are already underway, with full implementation beginning in the 2026-27 school year when students can begin receiving resources to enhance their learning, along with efforts to promote family engagement, create shared leadership opportunities, and strengthen school-community ties.
One of the new hubs will be at Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School, where Principal Homero Penuelas hopes his school will become more than a place of learning.
With the additional resources, Curie, he said, will also become a place where families connect, partnerships flourish, and the entire community grows stronger together.
“Becoming a sustainable community school means committing to the success of every child by collaborating with families, community organizations, and our neighbors to address both academic and non-academic needs,” said Principal Penuelas.“Here at Curie, we believe that when schools become the heart of their community, students thrive, families are empowered, and lasting opportunities are created for generations to come.”
The latest strategic expansion prioritizes historically underserved communities and aligns with the District’s equity framework, which seeks to close opportunity gaps and elevate student voices.
The Board of Education affirmed this vision by passing a resolution in December 2023, officially naming Community Schools a strategic priority within CPS’s Success 2029: Together We Rise five-year strategic plan.
The initiative directly advances the plan’s goal of ensuring that every school becomes a community hub, a place where educators, families, students, and community partners come together to promote collective well-being.
“The goal of Sustainable Community Schools is creating stronger connections between our schools and the communities they serve.
By building on local partnerships and listening to families, we are creating learning environments that respond to students' needs and reflect the strengths of every neighborhood,” said Chicago Board of Education President Sean Harden. “This is an investment in long-term success for our students and our city.”
“These community hubs recognize that student success is built through strong relationships, meaningful partnerships, and a commitment to supporting the whole child,” saidCTU President Stacy Davis Gates. “Expanding this work means more families will have access to schools that serve as trusted centers of opportunity.
We are encouraged to see this continued investment and remain committed to working alongside CPS to ensure every student has the support they deserve.”
For more information about the Community Schools strategic priority, visit the District’swebsiteas well as theCTU’s Sustainable Community Schools Page.
Newly Selected Sustainable Community Schools for 2026-27 Implementation
Chicago High School for the Arts
Chicago Vocational High School
Roberto Clemente Community Academy
DeWitt Clinton Elementary School
Mary E. Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center
Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School
James Farmer, Jr. Elementary School
Foster Park Elementary School
Gage Park High School
Mildred I. Lavizzo Elementary School
Little Village Elementary School
Roswell B. Mason Elementary School
Benjamin E. Mays Elementary Academy
Parkside Elementary Community Academy
Theodore Roosevelt High School
Existing Sustainable Community Schools
Oscar DePriest Elementary School
Herbert Spencer Technology Academy
Charles Steinmetz College Prep
Brighton Park Elementary School
Thomas Kelly Preparatory School
Donald L. Morrill Math & Science Specialty School
John B. Drake Elementary School
Jacob Beidler Elementary School
Daniel R. Cameron Magnet School of the Arts
Carl Schurz High School
Richard Yates Elementary School
Richards Career Academy
Christian Fenger Academy High School
Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary School
David Farragut Community Academy IB World School
Cyrus H. McCormick Elementary School
Uplift Community High School
Fort Dearborn Elementary School
Walter H. Dyett High School for The Arts
Ralph H. Metcalfe Community Academy
Ira Aldridge Elementary School
Austin College and Career Academy High School
Belmont-Cragin Elementary School
James H. Bowen High School
Cesar E. Chavez Multi-Cultural Academic Center
George W. Collins Academy STEAM High School
James R. Doolittle Elementary School
Englewood STEM High School
Stephen F. Gale Community Academy
Harold Washington Elementary School
Gurdon S. Hubbard High School
Stephen T. Mather High School
McCutcheon STEAM Elementary School
Richard J. Oglesby Elementary School
Telpochcalli Dual-Language Elementary School
George Washington High School