New school to create Chicago education jobs

Posted on July 23, 2014

Chicago Public School’s (CPS) Wildwood World Magnet School Annex project is helping create Chicago education jobs.

The project is in the Forest Glen community on Chicago’s Northwest Side.

The addition will bring a 34,000 square foot, three-story building to the school, including 12 classrooms, a computer lab, art room, library, administrative suite and lunchroom. The annex and other renovations are expected to be completed in late summer 2015, in time for the 2015-2016 school year.

Construction will begin on another annex to help alleviate overcrowding at Oriole Park Elementary School, which will create 15 classrooms, a lunchroom, library, computer lab, science lab, and an administrative suite. Oriole Park, located in the Norwood Park community, will also receive renovations to transform an existing administrative suite into a classroom and the existing lunchroom into an art room. The annex and renovations on this project are also expected to be completed in late summer 2015, in time for the 2015-2016 school year.

“We have a responsibility to our students to provide them with the resources of a 21st century education,” said Mayor Emanuel. “After many years of our schools and communities finding creative solutions to overcrowding, we are now able to make the investment necessary to expand the facilities. Alleviating overcrowding is an essential part of our overall strategy to ensure our students will live up to their full potential.”

“Our students should not have to choose between a library or a lunchroom,” said CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett. “The Wildwood Elementary School annex will create the additional space necessary for students and teachers to concentrate on their studies. This will further our goal to ensure all of our students will graduate 100 percent college ready and 100 percent college bound.”

The District has made critical investments to expand high-quality school options for students across the city. Mayor Emanuel and CPS recently launched a modernization project at Dunne Technology Academy, located on the Far South Side, to incorporate a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) focus. These efforts include building new science and engineering labs to support the school’s transition to the STEM school model and other facility upgrades.