Ogden International School

Ogden International School of Chicago is a public K-12 school in Chicago, Illinois. It is a part of Chicago Public Schools (CPS). It maintains two campuses: East Campus with elementary grades, and West Campus with middle and high school grades.[1] East Campus is located in Gold Coast area of the Near North Side,[2] and West Campus is located in West Town.[3]

It has an attendance boundary for grades K-8, and it serves sections of the Near North Side and the Chicago Loop.[4] Sections of the Near North Side served by Ogden include Gold Coast, River North. and Streeterville.[5] Its high school is selective admissions only.[1] Students zoned to Ogden for K-8 are zoned to either Wells Community Academy High School or Lincoln Park High School for senior high.[6]

Azam Ahmed of the Chicago Tribune described it as "One of Chicago's more successful public schools".[7]

History

It was first established as an elementary school in 1857,[1] and its original name was William B. Ogden Elementary School,[8] after Mayor of Chicago William B. Ogden. Its previous standalone campus, dedicated in 1884, was located at 9 W. Oak Street, and it did not have a cafeteria, a playground, a gymnasium, nor an assembly hall. The Chicago Tribune referred to it as "one of the most obsolete buildings in the city."[9] The school district owned a parcel, acquired in 1945, located within Dearborn, Oak, State, and Walton Streets, and a new $1 million ($10725782.41 according to inflation) 13 classroom brick and stone building was proposed and recommended for construction by the bureau of research and building survey. In addition to having the four features lacking in the previous building, it was also to have six restrooms, an adjustment room, a teacher's lounge, and a kindergarten area.[9]

Around 2007 the middle school grades were relocated to the West Town campus.[7]

In 2009 Ogden's senior high school division was established, and its first senior class graduated in 2013.[1] That year the elementary building was due to undergo a $60 million renovation. Some parents were opposed to the plan to temporarily house elementary students at either the Schiller School or the Sojourner Truth School, both in the Cabrini-Green area.[7]

In 2015 parents at the school held a fundraiser in order to prevent CPS from laying off teachers at the school: it raised in a single day.[10]

In 2015 the principal of Ogden and the principal of Jenner Academy of the Arts, a K-8 school in Cabrini-Green, proposed merging their schools; Ogden was overcrowded while Jenner was under-enrollment and was threatened with closure. Around the time Jenner had 239 students, 98% African-American and almost all low income;[2] its building capacity was 1,060.[11] Some parents approved of the merger, while others opposed it.[2] At first the merger proposal was canceled as there was not enough time left to get it accomplished for the 2015-2016 school year,[12] and aside from the opposition of some parents, the CPS had what David Matthews of DNA Info referred to as "lukewarm support".[2] CPS head Janice Jackson had stated that there was not enough "due diligence" done in order for the merger to go through.[13] In August 2016 the discussions on how to merge the schools resumed,[14] and in December of that year CPS confirmed that the process of merging the schools would begin.[15] The merger would take place at least in the 2018-2019 school year.[16]

Student body

As of 2016 it has about 1,800 students.[1] 45% were White, and 20% were low income.[2] 15 native languages, including English, are represented.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Our School." Ogden International School of Chicago. Retrieved on December 21, 2016. "EAST CAMPUS (GRADES K-5): 24 W. WALTON ST. CHICAGO, IL 60610" and "WEST CAMPUS (GRADES 6-12): 1250 W. ERIE ST. CHICAGO, IL 60642"
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Matthews, David (2016-11-01). "Ogden-Jenner Merger Is Best For Both Schools, New Study Says". DNA Info. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  3. ↑ "West Town" (map). City of Chicago. Retrieved on December 21, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Near North/West/Central Elementary Schools Archived June 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine." (Archive). Chicago Public Schools. May 17, 2013. Retrieved on May 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ Lutton, Linda (2015-09-21). "Merger of Gold Coast school with Cabrini-Green school would mean first integrated neighborhood school in a former public housing area". WBEZ. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
  6. ↑ "HS North/Near North." Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved on September 30, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Ahmed, Azam (2009-05-25). "Ogden School move: Parents in Chicago's Gold Coast upset by impending temporary move to Cabrini-Green area". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
  8. ↑ Home page. William B. Ogden Elementary School. November 30, 2005. Retrieved on December 21, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Ogden School Replacement in 1947 Urged". Chicago Tribune. 1946-12-29. p. Part 3 Metropolitan Section. - (Newspaper navigation, Page image)
  10. ↑ Matthews, David (2015-09-30). "Ogden Parents Raise $130K to Save Teachers' Jobs, But Should They Have To?". DNA Info. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  11. ↑ Matthews, David (2015-09-22). "Ogden School Presses Ahead with Jenner Merger". Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  12. ↑ Matthews, David (2015-11-05). "Ogden Principal Tells Parents Jenner Merger 'Should Not Proceed' Next Year". DNA Info. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  13. ↑ Vevea, Becky (2016-10-29). "Supporters Of A Chicago School Merger Hope To Stamp Out Segregation". NPR. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  14. ↑ Matthews, David; Mina Bloom (2016-08-10). "Ogden, Jenner Merger Talks Back On; CPS Seeks Input". DNA Info. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  15. ↑ Matthews, David (201-12-05). "CPS Moves Forward On Ogden-Jenner Merger, Seeks Input At Community Meetings". DNA Info. Retrieved 2016-12-21. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ↑ "CPS proposes closing 3 schools that district says have no students enrolled this year". Chicago Tribune. 2016-12-02. Retrieved 2016-12-22.

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