Official: School told to repay $1 million

A private school in Chicago must repay $1 million it mistakenly got from former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

A spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity says that was the ruling at a Wednesday morning hearing. She says the Loop Lab School will have to pay the full amount back to the state.

The ousted governor's administration called giving the money to the school a mistake.

Blagojevich meant for the money to help rebuild Pilgrim Baptist Church after it was gutted by a 2006 fire, but the money went to the school instead. The school rented space from the church and used the state money to buy a downtown condo.

The school's executive director, Chandra Gill, didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.