Prescott parents tell CPS board special-education rooms converted to music studio; ask for urgent remedy

At the board’s public-participation period, a string of parents from Prescott Elementary told the Chicago Board of Education that special-education resource rooms had been repurposed over the summer into a new music/dance space, leaving dozens of students to receive mandated services in hallways, stair landings, the assistant principal’s office and other temporary locations.

"Approximately 80,000 was spent on a new music and dance room, while 80 students with IEPs were left without appropriate permanent instructional spaces to support their IEPs," said Dr. Ebony Howard, representing Prescott parents. Multiple speakers said they had repeatedly asked school leadership and the local school council for a plan and received no response; some said they filed complaints with the Illinois State Board of Education to get answers.

Speakers asked the board to intervene and demanded three things: a written, timebound plan to restore comparable special-education resource rooms; a clear date for when spaces will be provided; and a statement of accountability describing who will be responsible for fixing the situation. Several parents said requests were met with finger-pointing and requested district-level action.

Superintendent King and board officials said district staff would follow up with school and network leaders; during the Q&A period a board member requested that district staff engage directly with the families. The board did not vote on a remedy at Thursday’s meeting; parents said they expect a written response and a schedule for corrective action.