Chicago Public Schools downtown planners and executives have served parents on the Near South Side exceptionally poorly over the last year.

The announcement that CPS may move South Loop’s upper grades to the National Teachers Academy building has begged more questions than answers. It has generated a subtle friction among parents and divisions on the local school council.

The news should have come sooner. Staffers from CPS have known for months that South Loop School was facing a space crunch. But they waited until the second week of December to publicly float the idea of a move. We don’t understand what CPS gains by refusing to play their hand until so late in the year.

Meanwhile, families and staff at the National Teachers Academy haven’t even been approached by CPS with the news. It remains unclear why the school district felt this slap in the face was in any way appropriate.

Last week, we editorialized in favor of moving South Loop School’s upper grades to the National Teachers Academy building starting the next school year. We agreed with the unanimous vote the South Loop local school council made earlier this month recommending that decision. And we like the idea of a new high school burgeoning in the NTA building.

The council has since moved away from that resolution, seeking to delay any changes until 2011. But the writing is on the wall. It’s not difficult to predict here that South Loop’s upper grades will be moved into NTA starting next year.

Both the South Loop and NTA school communities must make the best out of a frustrating situation.