We urge you to oppose the expansion of Lincoln School with an annex over the Lincoln School playground, which would: eliminate a greatly used children’s playground from access before and after school, weekends and summer;would increase traffic and congestion from doubling the capacity; andwould drastically and permanently alter the low density feel of the neighborhood.
Lincoln School, with its tiny gym and auditorium, postage stamp playground, and minimal pick up and drop off frontage, was intended, and functions best, for a capacity of 630 students. The proposed annex would increase the capacity of Lincoln up to 1297 students. Lincoln is already the densest school in Lincoln Park: It has the largest population with the smallest footprint and the smallest playground of all surrounding schools. Meanwhile, the neighborhood surrounding Lincoln, even currently with two shuttered hospitals, already faces intolerable congestion and traffic hazards twice a day.
Lincoln’s overcrowding can easily be solved by grandfathering in all current students and their siblings to allow them to complete their elementary school experience at Lincoln by either:
(1) at no taxpayer expense, using excess capacity at other surrounding schools to accommodate future students, or
(2) moving the proposed annex to another excellent Level I school within Lincoln’s district with the physical capacity to handle expansion while maintaining recommended playground space and square footage per student.
Both solutions would preserve all magnet school seats, preserve well spaced community playgrounds, accommodate families who would prefer a school closer to their homes, and preserve Lincoln’s K-8 neighborhood school and playground for future generations.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
December 18, 2013
December 17, 2013
We are approaching the 250 signature threshold which I will use to trigger a formal request for a meeting with the district office. Please ensure your networks are signed through today so we can present a unified opposition during our upcoming zoning review.
December 16, 2013
I have sent a formal letter to the school board detailing our concerns regarding the proposed capacity increase. We are now awaiting a confirmed time for a sit down with district planning officials to discuss alternative sites for the annex.
December 14, 2013
We have reached one hundred signatures on this petition. I am currently drafting a formal letter to the school board to request a meeting regarding these expansion plans.
Reached 100 supporters
December 13, 2013
112 Comments
Lincoln is over crowded by 100 children. Rahm wants to spend $200,000 per student to alleviate the propblem? You wonder why our city and state is broke? Stop spending... there are 500 open seats within a 1/2 mile. Do the people who support this suggest we spend this much at every school that is overcrowded ?
I moved across the street in January and literally the first I heard of this was when the decision was made. How were we not included in the debate? Traffic is already a big issue in the neighborhood and the playground is used as a buffre for over 100 students in the afternoon.
The playground is space used by all ages to play basketball, hit tennis balls against the wall, learn to ride a bike, a game of catch. These are all activities the playground is used for that will be lost. Kids have little space for that in the city, why take more of it away?
Doubling the population at Lincoln, the densest school in LP, while eliminating its playground for over 1000 elementary school and neighborhood children, is the worst response imaginable to overcrowding at Lincoln. No wonder this plan was hidden from the public until it was a "done deal". It is Chicago politics at its worst!
As long as Alcott is a mere three blocks north, another fine school with an active parent body is under utilized and below capacity, I see no reason to put such a burden on the Lincoln neighborhood with this ill conceived,
The truth is out there about how this was pushed through CPS. PLEASE forward to as many friends. The playground is gone for now, but the facts must be heard again!
The demise of a once beautiful neighborhood school, and a tremendous loss of rare open space. So
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We urge you to oppose the expansion of Lincoln School with an annex over the Lincoln School playground, which would: eliminate a greatly used children’s playground from access before and after school, weekends and summer;would increase traffic and congestion from doubling the capacity; andwould drastically and permanently alter the low density feel of the neighborhood.
Lincoln School, with its tiny gym and auditorium, postage stamp playground, and minimal pick up and drop off frontage, was intended, and functions best, for a capacity of 630 students. The proposed annex would increase the capacity of Lincoln up to 1297 students. Lincoln is already the densest school in Lincoln Park: It has the largest population with the smallest footprint and the smallest playground of all surrounding schools. Meanwhile, the neighborhood surrounding Lincoln, even currently with two shuttered hospitals, already faces intolerable congestion and traffic hazards twice a day.
Lincoln’s overcrowding can easily be solved by grandfathering in all current students and their siblings to allow them to complete their elementary school experience at Lincoln by either:
(1) at no taxpayer expense, using excess capacity at other surrounding schools to accommodate future students, or
(2) moving the proposed annex to another excellent Level I school within Lincoln’s district with the physical capacity to handle expansion while maintaining recommended playground space and square footage per student.
Both solutions would preserve all magnet school seats, preserve well spaced community playgrounds, accommodate families who would prefer a school closer to their homes, and preserve Lincoln’s K-8 neighborhood school and playground for future generations.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
December 18, 2013
December 17, 2013
We are approaching the 250 signature threshold which I will use to trigger a formal request for a meeting with the district office. Please ensure your networks are signed through today so we can present a unified opposition during our upcoming zoning review.
December 16, 2013
I have sent a formal letter to the school board detailing our concerns regarding the proposed capacity increase. We are now awaiting a confirmed time for a sit down with district planning officials to discuss alternative sites for the annex.
December 14, 2013
We have reached one hundred signatures on this petition. I am currently drafting a formal letter to the school board to request a meeting regarding these expansion plans.
Reached 100 supporters
December 13, 2013
112 Comments
The playground provides the only opportunity the kids get to interact socially with their friends. They won't be able to spend time before and after school on a roof top playground.
Lincoln is over crowded by 100 children. Rahm wants to spend $200,000 per student to alleviate the propblem? You wonder why our city and state is broke? Stop spending... there are 500 open seats within a 1/2 mile. Do the people who support this suggest we spend this much at every school that is overcrowded ?
I moved across the street in January and literally the first I heard of this was when the decision was made. How were we not included in the debate? Traffic is already a big issue in the neighborhood and the playground is used as a buffre for over 100 students in the afternoon.
The playground is space used by all ages to play basketball, hit tennis balls against the wall, learn to ride a bike, a game of catch. These are all activities the playground is used for that will be lost. Kids have little space for that in the city, why take more of it away?
Doubling the population at Lincoln, the densest school in LP, while eliminating its playground for over 1000 elementary school and neighborhood children, is the worst response imaginable to overcrowding at Lincoln. No wonder this plan was hidden from the public until it was a "done deal". It is Chicago politics at its worst!
As long as Alcott is a mere three blocks north, another fine school with an active parent body is under utilized and below capacity, I see no reason to put such a burden on the Lincoln neighborhood with this ill conceived,
The truth is out there about how this was pushed through CPS. PLEASE forward to as many friends. The playground is gone for now, but the facts must be heard again!
The demise of a once beautiful neighborhood school, and a tremendous loss of rare open space. So
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The playground provides the only opportunity the kids get to interact socially with their friends. They won't be able to spend time before and after school on a roof top playground.