South Loop School’s gifted program is definitely getting phased out beginning this fall, but Chicago Public Schools officials announced Wednesday night that the program won’t simply disappear — it’ll be shifted to another nearby school in fall 2013.

The announcement was made at a South Loop meeting with Chief Portfolio Officer Oliver Sicat, the CPS official in charge of managing the district’s school facilities.

According to Sicat, the program will open in fall 2013 at a building that’s between two and five miles away from South Loop. They’re currently looking at buildings that potentially have the space available to take on a gifted program and the students that come along with it, he told parents.

The final decision on the gifted program’s new location would be made by August, Sicat said.

In the meantime, as South Loop’s gifted program is being phased out one grade at a time over the course of the next nine years, CPS will keep filling abandoned slots in existing classes to prevent classroom size from diminishing.

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By Sloopinaround from South Loop
Posted: 05/03/2012 12:05 PM

southlooprealist should probably be renamed southloopracist. I have two children at SLES. One in the neighborhood program, and one in the gifted program. Guess what? They\'re both white and smart - and Ms. Shelton has gone out of her way to make sure my kids get the best education possible. She doesn\'t care what color they are - if they have the potential she sees it - and tries to push the kids further.

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By Interested Party from South Loop
Posted: 05/03/2012 10:55 AM

My own understanding of Mrs. Shelton's allowing participation in gifted classes by others is that they sometimes allow other SLES students who have not qualified for the program, but excel in a particular subject, to attend when that subject is being taught. Not that they have actually been given a backdoor entry into the program. I could have it somewhat wrong, but then again...I suspect my status of incomplete understanding is shared by many a commentor.

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By southlooprealist from South Loop
Posted: 05/03/2012 8:28 AM

SHelton has destroyed the gifted program by dumbing it down and allowing \"her\" people to destroy it. She does not want smart white or Asian kids. She has admitted people into the so-called gifted program based on her friendship with parents and to allow African-Americans from other areas to be accepted and dumb down the program. She has got to be replaced in order for any program to be successful. Who is her clout to be able to survive as incompetent as she is.

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By mari from tri taylor
Posted: 04/27/2012 3:58 PM

I will put my money on NTA To get the gifted program. Galileo is in the picture but to close to Skinner but you never know.

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By hmmm...
Posted: 04/27/2012 10:44 AM

I was at the meeting... He didn't say 2014, he said the school year after next. He also said there would only be a one year gap... Did Mr. Meyerson talk to him after the meeting and get different information? If he did, par for the course I guess. Sicat was caught off guard at the first meeting - now he's trying to show who is in charge.

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By SLS parent from S. Loop
Posted: 04/27/2012 9:20 AM

Careful what you wish for. Later year transfers in caused a ton of discipline problems over the years in the undersized gifted classes. The students coming in had the challenges of being new, many were behind scholastically and challenged as they were not really gifted and classroom disruption was the one area they could excel. As always CPS puts this school in a very difficult situation. Hopefully they will overcome this crazy transition as well.