Urban Prep closure put on hold in ‘much needed win’ as the once-esteemed all-boys charter school fights to stay open
An Illinois appellate court decided June 23 that Urban Prep Academies would be allowed to remain open while a lawsuit challenging the charter school’s closure is pending in Cook County Circuit Court.
Troy Boyd, Urban Prep’s chief operating officer, said while he isn’t surprised by the ruling, it is a “much-needed win” in what’s been a long battle.
“We felt like the courts made the right decision — it was a violation of the moratorium,” Boyd said, referring to a state law that suspended school closings until 2025. “This is definitely a blessing.”
In April, the Illinois State Board of Education denied Urban Prep’s appeal to take back control of its Bronzeville and Englewood campuses after the Chicago Board of Education revoked the charter status of the once-esteemed all-boys school in October. The district watchdog substantiated misconduct allegations against the charter network’s former CEO, Tim King, and found multiple violations related to governance. The investigation also found that only one-third of Urban Prep teachers are certified and the charter failed to provide adequate special education services for disabled students.
A circuit court judge rejected the school’s initial request for a temporary restraining order on the closure June 14, so Urban Prep filed an appeal. The temporary restraining order from the appellate court now prevents Chicago Public Schools from taking over the school until the resolution of Urban Prep’s lawsuit. The next hearing in the lawsuit is scheduled for July 19.
“As it stands right now, because of the TRO, we are able to move forward with opening in the fall,” Boyd said.
CPS had previously started the process of replacing Urban Prep with district-run Bronzeville-Englewood High School, for which Christopher Shelton Jr. from Goode STEM Academy High School in Ashburn, was chosen as principal. In a statement, the district remained steady in its plans.
“CPS is disappointed in the recent court decision; however, our focus is on ensuring that all CPS students have access to high-quality educational opportunities in their neighborhood,” CPS said in a statement. “CPS is committed to the new Bronzeville-Englewood High School welcoming students and staff on the first day of school, Aug. 21.”
Boyd said Urban Prep administrators were ready for the ruling to go in their favor.
“I wouldn’t say we ever stopped preparing for the first day of school,” Boyd said. “This is just something reinvigorating for our faculty and staff, students and families. This was the hope we were desperately needing. It reaffirmed many people’s commitment to being at Urban Prep moving forward. After we got the disappointing news in April, folks had to shift gears understandably so to find other opportunities.”
Pamela Johnson, whose son Miles Johnson graduated from Urban Prep in 2023, said she still doesn’t understand why CPS and ISBE agreed to “do away with something that’s working.”
“We need that institution in our community. We need it,” Johnson said Thursday. “We need men for our young men of color, who do not get to see other men of color in leadership roles, teaching them and guiding them. For most of them, this is the only time they see that.”
Dennis Lacewell, the chief academic officer for Urban Prep, said Urban Prep’s commitment to making sure its seniors had attainable postgraduate plans was a big part of its success and what set them apart from the typical public school model, citing the charter’s 90% high school graduation rate, compared with CPS’ 65% high school graduation rate for Black male students.
Johnson said her son benefited greatly from attending Urban Prep.
“He graduated third in his class — why would you ever want to disrupt this type of institution when you see the results in these young men?” she said. “It’s not about my personal opinion, it’s about the outcomes that we’re seeing. Our community is saying thank you to this temporary hold because it gives life to families that have supported the institution.”
Boyd said Urban Prep leaders sent emails to parents and students as soon as the court ruled to put the closure on hold.
“We mobilized our team on both campuses and our admissions department to begin making calls to let the community know if they were interested in staying with Urban Prep for the upcoming school year that they have that opportunity,” Boyd said. “I’m not really sure about the interest that existed in students’ going to the CPS school. My understanding, from many of our students and their families, is that they don’t intend to go to this new school that is not Urban Prep.”
Craig Wimberly, president of the Coalition of African American Leaders and an instrumental voice in Urban Prep’s fight, said while the ruling was necessary and gratifying, he hopes Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. J.B. Pritzker will address why Urban Prep had its charter revoked in the first place.
“Even beyond the legality of it, it’s morally bankrupt for CPS and ISBE to revoke the charter of a school that successfully educates Black boys and young men,” Wimberly said. “Regardless of what other issues they may have, nothing I’ve ever read has pointed to any issues around the education of our kids.”
CPS said the mission of Bronzeville-Englewood High School is to “provide young men with a rigorous, culturally-relevant education that enables them to achieve academic excellence, think critically, and lead responsibly.”
The district noted in a statement that Urban Prep had a mission to serve young men, but was not exempt from Title IX, and therefore a coeducational charter school open to all students, including young women. The Bronzeville-Englewood High School will operate under the same framework of serving young men but open to all CPS students.
