CPS rescinds about 500 offers to top-notch elementary school

More than 500 families thought their children were set for September, accepted into a top North Side magnet school, according to congratulatory letters Chicago Public Schools mailed last week.

But late Monday, hopes were dashed when the district rescinded all but 16 of those offers to LaSalle Language Academy elementary school in West Town.

“According to our records, your child received an offer for LaSalle Magnet School for the 2016-2017 school year,” read an email sent by Kathryn Ellis, head of CPS’ Office of Access and Enrollment. “Unfortunately, due to an error in assigning transfer students to LaSalle, CPS discovered that LaSalle does not have enough available seats for the number of offers that were made. As a result of this error, your child’s status for LaSalle has changed.”

LaSalle Language Academy, which boasts CPS’ top rating, offers nine years of Italian, Mandarin Chinese, French or Spanish at its West Town campus. No test is required for entry but there is a lottery because applications far outstrip openings in the school. It has about 550 students enrolled.

District spokesman Michael Passman did not explain specifically what the error was that led CPS to “inadvertently” offer more seats to students than LaSalle has open come September.

“When the error was discovered, CPS immediately called and emailed all families that received an incorrect notification,” he continued in a statement.

About 512 letters were sent out for kids who wanted to transfer into LaSalle for grades one through eight, he said. But the school had room for just 16. Kindergartners were not affected, he said.

He insisted LaSalle was the only school that rescinded the much hoped-for offers out of dozens of district schools that require an application with a lottery or entrance test to get in.

In the Monday night email obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, Ellis apologized to the affected families.

“I am deeply sorry to have to inform you of this change. The application and enrollment process is an emotional time for many families, and I want to assure you that we will work individually with your family to make sure you understand your options,” she wrote. She added that a CPS staffer would call within the next 24 hours to discuss options. Parents who already turned down offers from other schools to accept LaSalle’s could have those offers reinstated, she said.

Stacy Davis Gates called the entire lottery process “insane,” saying her her 7-year-old son has no other options yet since he was put on wait-lists at all the other schools the family applied to in order to avoid their overcrowded neighborhood school.

“I don’t know what my plans are…I’m still in total and complete shock that something like this is even possible,‎” said Davis Gates, who also works as a Chicago Teachers Union staffer.

“LaSalle was my son’s ONLY offer although they promptly pointed me to my neighborhood school…overcrowded, of course. How can they offer a school that’s overcrowded as a solution when they said, ‘We can’t have the classes at LaSalle over a certain limit.’” she said.

The district already had delayed mailing the letters by a few days, telling parents who could find the notification on the schools’ system’s website that the elementary notification letters would be sent out on March 30 instead of March 28. “Due to CPS’s budget situation requiring a furlough day last week, and the preparation required to ensure students are safe, fed and engaged during the one-day strike on April 1st, the elementary notification letters are delayed,” the website read.