Board OKs closing two charter schools

Kiya Cox, getting set to graduate eighth grade next summer after spending her whole life at the same school, was one of almost 20 speakers who emotionally pleaded with the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education to keep Frazier open Wednesday, with dozens more standing and applauding after nearly every speaker.

The meeting was held at Curie High School on the Southwest Side, the first board meeting in the evening in a neighborhood since 2015.

Despite the pleas, the board approved closing Frazier by a vote of six to one and unanimously voted to close Chicago Virtual Charter School. CPS officials cited poor school ratings even after being placed on probation as a reason for shutting them down.

The two schools are the eighth and ninth CPS charters since 2014 to close for low performance. Disappointed families filed out of the auditorium after the vote.

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