Breaking: ASPIRA Charter Schools’ decision to shut down Haugan Middle School, funded by Chicago Public Schools, on the Northwest Side

CHICAGO (WLS) — Parents of students at a charter school on the city’s Northwest Side are fighting its closure.

School leaders voted Wednesday to close the ASPIRA Haugan Middle School because of insufficient funding.

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Dozens of parents and teachers made their plea to the ASPIRA board of directors Wednesday night, trying to keep the charter school open.

In the end, the decision came down to financials, and Haugan Middle School will now be closing after this school year.

“We tried everything,” ASPIRA board of directors president Edgar Lopez said.

The president of ASPIRA was visibly shaken as the board of directors voted unanimously to shut down Haugan Middle School.

“Unless something changes in Chicago and CPS, this isn’t gonna be the last charter school to close,” Lopez said.

CPS funds the charter school which had an enrollment that at one point reached 800 but has dwindled to 83 recently. The ASPIRA board of directors pointed out that the decrease in enrollment and insufficient funding from CPS were factors influencing the decision.

Teachers and parents at Haugan Middle School say they feel abandoned as they believe the community has grown into a family.

“Oyuki Hernandez, a parent, shared, “My child previously attended a school where she experienced bullying, which was a terrible experience. However, after transferring to ASPIRA, everything changed. She made friends, and the teachers not only care about my daughter but also about me.”

“Lori Cannella, a teacher, expressed, “We are like a family that is being torn apart. We witness these students who have been told they will never succeed, yet they return to us saying, ‘I have achieved something because of you.'”

The school is expected to shut down June 30.

CPS did not respond to ABC7’s request for comment Wednesday.

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