39th Ward Newsletter
August 21, 2020

Dear neighbor,

I hope this finds you and your loved ones healthy and well.  

Last week, the southern and eastern parts of our ward were hit hard by the storm that ripped through the City. My office has worked tirelessly to identify and coordinate clean-up and power restoration efforts with the Bureau of Forestry, Streets & Sanitation, and ComEd. According to ComEd, our Ward ranked third in the number of residents without power. With everyone’s hard work the 39th Ward reached 100% restoration by last Friday evening. Thank you for your continued patience as our partners in the Bureau of Forestry and Streets & Sanitation make their way through the 39th Ward. Clean-up efforts should be completed this weekend. 

Since taking office, I have met regularly with all 39th Ward principals and school community groups to ensure our schools have the resources needed to be successful. School communities are like children: they are unique and have unique needs. Ensuring every 39th Ward school has the resources they need is a top priority.   

I am happy to report that Peterson Elementary cut the ribbon on a new green space last year.  Belding Elementary is undergoing renovations.  Palmer Elementary is continuing construction on its grounds.  Von Steuben’s building is being improved and Northside Learning Center’s beloved greenhouse will be funded.  We continue to advocate for improvements at Solomon Elementary.  We have dedicated over $400,000 from the Ward’s Menu program for a much-needed green play space and pollinator garden at Volta school and worked with Representative Jaime Andrade to secure $100,000 for a new science lab.  This lab will support Volta’s Science Olympiad team and middle school students.     

I am thrilled to announce that the Sauganash Elementary expansion  is on Chicago Public School's (CPS's) proposed list of Capital Improvements for this year. This is an enormous opportunity and accomplishment for the Sauganash parents, teachers, community and leadership who have worked so hard for this.  Many have written letters and testified at Board of Education hearings in support of this expansion.  The CPS Board of Education will vote on the Budget on August 26th.  Learn more here.

Sauganash is currently the most overcrowded CPS neighborhood school at 124% capacity.  If we do nothing, it is expected to be at 136% capacity in four years or less. 76% of Sauganash’s homerooms are overcrowded. Teachers have been forced to use storage closets, hallway areas, and stairwell landings for instruction because of the lack of space. Not only is this unfair to the students and staff, but this also poses significant safety concerns. 

Sauganash is 29.5% low income, there are forty-four languages spoken, and 24% of students are English Language Learners. The six hundred and sixty-four students, forty-three Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members, and twenty Service Employees International Union (SEIU) members deserve a safe environment to learn and to work.  

In addressing Sauganash’s overcrowding, I have worked with CPS to explore all possible ideas and the only viable solution was the expansion of the existing building. In advocating for this expansion, I have personally met with CPS leadership regularly, the Mayor multiple times, had meetings with each of the CPS Board of Education members, and testified at both the Capital and Budget hearings.   

I am hopeful that our collective efforts will pay off and the Board of Education will overwhelming vote to approve this expansion.

While we are not yet open to the public, we are open virtually Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. As always, feel free to reach out to my office with any questions, comments, or concerns at Ward39@CityOfChicago.org or at 773.736.5594. Please check on your neighbors and lend a hand where you can.  

I wish you all good health and safety. 

Very truly yours,

Alderman Samantha Nugent