Several charters have announced closure or asked CPS for money in a rough year. A new district working group aims to find out if the problem is district underfunding, charter mismanagement or both.
CHICAGO — Jema Fabara knows what can happen when a charter school hits financial turbulence. She lost her teaching job when the Acero network’s Cruz campus closed last year.
Now Fabara, who is teaching at the ASPIRA charter network’s alternative high school, worries the same thing could happen again as that network struggles to make payroll and considers merging schools. This time, the turmoil could also affect her son, who is a senior at her school, and a nephew attending ASPIRA’s nearby Early College campus.
blockclubchicago.org
by Mila Koumpilova and Reema Amin
February 12, 2026