Jones College Prep’s new building in the South Loop is on track to open in fall 2013, and Chicago Public Schools officials are keeping their promise to give neighborhood kids a leg up on admission.

Now CPS officials have revealed exactly what they consider to be the “neighborhood” that will get the advantage.

According to Connecting4Communities Executive Director Dennis O’Neill, neighborhood kids are defined as those who live in the area bounded by Grand Avenue on the north, Ashland Avenue on the west, and Lake Michigan on the east. The southern boundary runs along 26th Street from the lake until it meets I-55, at which point the boundary line moves southwest along the highway until it meets Ashland.

It’s not a pure neighborhood program, though. It’ll be a program providing pre-law and pre-engineering programs to teens. Each program will make up 12.5 percent, respectively, of the school’s enrollment. Local students will get preference for the seats, but remaining seats will be opened up to other applicants citywide.

According to an informational sheet passed out by CPS at a community meeting last week discussing the program, there will be minimum seventh grade test scores students will have to meet in order to gain admission to the school — neighborhood students included. That score has not yet been determined.

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By Southlooprealist from South Loop
Posted: 11/03/2012 3:51 PM

For SL Parent--There is no question that Ms. Shelton accepted "her" people into the school from out of area places. The gifted program became a joke with dumbed down curriculum. The school became a joke. The boundaries were increased to fill the school with underperforming blacks because that is Rahm's constituency. Being ranked 8th in a city like this is nothing to be proud of. It doesn't compare. Blame Rahm not Fioretti. Placate the screaming underferformers.

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By King Ph.d. from Beverly
Posted: 11/02/2012 10:22 AM

So 25% of the school will not be traditional selective enrollment. Will there be a minimum score required for admission so the curriculum does not have to be bifurcated ? What if more students apply and are qualified for attendance than there are spaces available; Will they be admitted by rank or by lottery? Will there be a tier system applied to neighborhood admissions? A chunk of Chinatown falls within he boundaries. Lots of high performing kids at Haines could fill lots of seats.

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By Another SL Parent from South Loop
Posted: 11/01/2012 10:20 AM

How many black people live on 26th st. for Rahm to make them happy Mr. "realist"? What exactly happened at South Loop? How did it become the 8th rank elementary school in the city by accepting "lower performing students" ?

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By South Loop realist from South loop
Posted: 10/31/2012 5:14 PM

For all of you who are quick to blame Fioretti blame Rahm Emanuel. He has been against Bob because he stood up to him and refused to be his yes man. So Emanuel who controls CPS totally wanted to make the African American community who live south happy amd call them neighborhood kids at Jones. Again a selective enrollment school that is ranked 4th in the state will be forced to accept low performing students and the curriculum will be dumbed down for them. Just like what happened at South Loop.

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By neighbor from south loop
Posted: 10/30/2012 8:57 AM

Eric W: A little quick to blame Fioretti? If anything, the last years events in CPS has proven behind a shadow of a doubt that CPS does what it wants, regardless of public and even elected official input. Rahm controls CPS, not the aldermen. The article says it best: "CPS officials have revealed exactly what they consider to be the neighborhood”.

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By Eric W from South Loop
Posted: 10/27/2012 11:06 PM

Thanks Fioretti for once again screwing the South Loop with this garbage. What kind of boundary is this.

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By Moore O'Desame from South Loop
Posted: 10/27/2012 9:51 AM

The "neighborhood" program now being offered is just a dumbed-down, selective enrollment (vocational) program. The actual neighborhood, having been penalized by CPS with a "Tier 4" status, still does not have a non-probationary, neighborhood school in their proximity. Area taxpayers, who have helped finance Jones through their TIFF funds and taxes, are being given the shaft. In the meantime, the old Jones bldg. is going to be wasted, and the new TNA bldg. is underutilized and mostly vacant.

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By mike from west side
Posted: 10/25/2012 5:51 PM

I like those boundaries.