Oppose Lincoln Expansion and Save Our Playground

I have seen two people on my Facebook wall urging me to sign this petition. However, I know these people have property assets within the boundary limits of Lincoln Elementary. Now I understand that some people may have actual valid reasons for signing this petition. But to sign this petition to raise your property value and hiding that intent through the mission of helping the impoverished of Chicago is ridiculous. In addition, the school plans to build an indoor playground, which will not only be safer, it will help on the days when there's rain and the children are not allowed outside and have to sit in the auditorium. Also, there is a reason why money is being spent on Lincoln Elementary rather than other schools, which simply because other people like Lincoln Elementary proven track record of high test scores. I myself am I resident of the area within the boundary limits of Lincoln Elementary and I urge you all to rethink why you are signing this petition. Please be reasonable and ethical. -Former Lincoln Elementary Graduate

Sorry Carol, that won't even come close to solving the problem. Lincoln is overcrowded by 200 students, and your idea only reduces that by about 50. And more growth is coming. Much as I'd love to keep the full playground at street level, the proposed annex seems like the best solution.

All the evidence supports the necessity of play areas for children.

the expansion is a slap in the face to overcrowded schools in much needier communities.

waste of CPS money that is badly needed elsewhere

our children need those playgrounds. it give our mothers some place to take there littlest in the summer time

Playgrounds create the next generation

Property owner and experience of serving on School Board so know how important playground space is,in addition to keeping traffic down and area safe for our school

This annex is unnecessary. There are other solutions to the overcrowding at Lincoln.

This building nightmare can be avoided simply by assignment of incoming students to other schools that do have openings for enrollment.

Former Lincoln Elementary Graduate. Please understand that there are many other people other than those with a nearby real estate interest who do not believe that building an annex is the solution. Current enrollment at Lincoln as of August 1 is 785 students, enrollment has basically been flat for the last four years. There will not be an indoor playground, but a rooftop playground still exposed to the elements, less than 2/3 the size of the current playground and not accessible other than school hours. As a graduate I'm sure you spent time before and after school on the playground, future children will not have that opportunity. Reasonable, ethical, equitable and less expensive fixes to this problem exist. The Selective Enrollment program at Lincoln could easily be moved to a school nearby with space. Test scores are not everything, a bigger Lincoln means siphoning students and budget dollars from other neighborhood schools if Lincoln is not able to fill all the seats year after year from within it's own boundaries. Neighborhood boundaries could be tweaked, a program moved to a nearby school, an annex built at LaSalle to maintain the magnet program but add capacity for future neighborhood children much like Wildwood. All are doable, less expensive, would not impact any neighborhood student currently enrolled and will not have anywhere near the negative impact on the Near North neighborhood. I would urge you all to be reasonable and ethical, sign the petition to support a reasonable solution to Lincoln's moderate overcrowding.

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.