Parents and an alderman press CPS for gyms, playground fixes and ward‑level capital planning

Community members used the CPS FY27 capital planning session to press for faster action on neighborhood projects, pressing staff about a delayed McCutcheon gym, an unresurfaced playground at Cameron Elementary, and a call from an alderman for ward‑level capital plans and joint state advocacy.

“Kids no indoor recess. We have athletic events. We can't have choir performances. We don't have a gathering space,” said Eric Smith, a member of McCutcheon Elementary’s local school council and lead organizer of the Build the Gym Campaign, asking why the school’s gym has not been prioritized despite high need.

CPS staff acknowledged a long delay tied in part to litigation and site constraints. “We did win the lawsuit. We finished the design for that piece of the gymnasium,” staff said, but added that utility relocation and a large backlog of deferred needs have slowed construction and that the project will require coordination with city agencies. Staff said final drawings and cost estimates were recently completed and offered to set up intergovernmental follow‑up with the alderman’s office and principal to pursue next steps and outside funding.

Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez (25th Ward) asked CPS for a formally prepared capital‑needs plan by ward and urged district leaders to walk local sites with elected officials. He also raised broader funding concerns, saying the city is underfunded by the state and urging joint trips to Springfield for more support. “For every dollar that we pay the state, we only get 80 cents back,” he said, and urged CPS to work with elected officials to pursue additional revenue sources.

Parents described urgent safety and access problems. Viviana Ortiz, a parent and advocate for students in temporary living situations at Cameron Elementary, said the school’s playground abuts an alley with an open drug market, that rubber matting was removed and the area remains unresurfaced, and that students have been injured. CPS staff confirmed they had submitted a one‑pager to elected officials and said a TIF request was denied but that they are exploring other city funds and partner grants such as Space to Grow.

On participatory budgeting and next steps beyond the forum, CPS staff encouraged community members to coordinate through principals and networks, to pursue outside grants and elected‑official advocacy, and offered staff assistance with scopes, photos and cost estimates to support applications. For after‑school programming concerns, staff pointed to OST after‑school funds schools can apply for and offered to connect organizers to the office that manages those dollars.

Community speakers repeatedly expressed frustration with the pace of work and communication. CPS staff recommended LSC‑level agenda requests, meetings with intergovernmental staff, and continued advocacy to secure outside funds, but did not announce immediate new capital allocations at the session.

Staff reiterated they will post materials on cps.edu and meet individually with schools and elected officials to discuss site‑specific constraints and next steps.