Board Approves Land for New State-of-the-Art Building for Hancock High School

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, December 6, 2018

CHICAGO – To ensure students on the southwest side have access to a state-of-the-art selective enrollment school in their own community, the Chicago Board of Education has approved the purchase of land for the brand new Hancock High School building. CPS ended a 30-year drought for selective enrollment schools on the southwest side in 2015 when the district opened Hancock’s selective enrollment program, and CPS and the City of Chicago are now building on that commitment by moving forward with a state-of-the-art facility to support the school’s high quality academics.

“By investing in the future of Hancock High School, we are helping students, families and the whole community write an exciting new chapter – and one they’ve wanted for a long time,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Chicago’s students are raising the bar for academic success. When our students succeed, our whole city succeeds.”

“Every student in Chicago deserves access to facilities that support high-quality academics and provide opportunities in their neighborhood, and the new state-of-the-art high school building will provide students on the southwest side with the quality facilities they deserve,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson.

CPS and Mayor Emanuel announced the construction of a new Hancock High School building as part of its nearly $1 billion historic capital investment plan. Yesterday, the Board purchased the land located at 5423 W. 64th Place from The Chicago Title Land Trust Company for $4,350,000.

“Thanks to the strong input from residents and school leaders, soon the southwest side of Chicago will have the state-of-the-art facilities and extra space necessary to support the future of our children and the future of our city," said Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.

“Ongoing investments in our schools are a sign of what’s to come to the southwest side," said Alderman Marty Quinn. "We are investing in the children of Hancock, their education, their hopes and their dreams."

The district’s largest single-year capital investment in more than two decades promotes equitable access to high-quality resources by investing in educational programming, overcrowding relief, facility maintenance, athletic spaces, and IT and security upgrades. Notable investments include a plan to provide 21st-century science labs to all high schools, a new $85 million state-of-the-art STEM school in Englewood, an unprecedented modern technology investment, and other improvements that will enhance students’ educational experience.

Chicago Public Schools serves 361,000 students in 644 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

###