What Do You Expect?

Yesterday's Chicago Tribune lead story blarred out with "As enrollment sank, CPS kept spending." The amounts were staggering; $100 million spend to update buildings that are now closed, $1.5 billion spent on schools that today are less than 60% full and 78 schools are still overcrowded.

These aren't small amounts of money nor are many of the issues resolved.

One has to wonder about a number of issues. For example, why didn't the BOE and the brass pay more attention to the demographic studies that predicted much of this? One has to scratch their heads in amazement over the fact that the BOE is still hand picked likely resulting in a group that may not be in touch with changing events in the neighborhood. The point is...is there someone on the ground who has a firm grasp on the changing demographics?

There are plenty of other questions, though far too late, that need to be asked and addressed. Of course, the one real sore spot or 'third rail,' if you like, is what is to be done to stem the tide of people leaving the city? What can be done to provide decent jobs at a living wage? In the final analysis, if the employment issue isn't addressed then the flight will continue.

Dick