The lack of school options presents South Loop parents with a serious dilemma: stay in the neighborhood they love or move to the suburbs for better schools? Our area’s “local” high school is failing academically, has virtually no diversity, and is located miles away on Pershing Road. 

The old Jones building holds up to 900 students, which would go a long way toward providing good school options for South Loop parents. The cost to demolish the current building is estimated at $10 million— approximately half what it would cost to renovate the building for continued use.When the new Jones High School building is finished next year, Chicago Public Schools plans to demolish the existing building. 

The new Jones will be a Selective Enrollment school, requiring high test scores. South Loop kids won’t be guaranteed admission to the new Jones, even though the TIF money to build it came from our neighborhood. 

Even if you don’t have school-age children, good schools are an important part of our neighborhood’s future. Please help us save and reuse  the current Jones Building. 

Neighborhood schools are the backbone of a community. We need to continue supporting the creation and support of these schools.The population growth, according to the 2010 census, increased 300% for children ages 5 and under in one are of the South Loop alone.

We have the students and the community to support a neighborhood high school.

Will you help us?