Principal Patten's Newsletter

Dear Onahan Community,

I hope you are safe and sound with the passing storms! Happy Easter! Just a reminder that there is no school Friday. This newsletter is extra wordy, but very important to our community. Please read this through, there are several important surveys to answer, and some updates.

Onahan parents, share how you feel about our school by taking the 5Essentials survey! It takes 5-10 minutes to fill out this anonymous survey. We use this data for our Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP). CPS Parent Survey. As of 4/2/2026, we have only a 6% response rate, and we need a minimum of 25% to receive a report.

For those who are waiting for this news, CPS has cut back on summer programming, and though we applied and have hosted for years, we were denied Preview to Preschool and Kick Off to Kindergarten programming. We hope to see these programs back in the future. We have not heard about funds for general summer programming, but guessing those will be very limited.

VERY IMPORTANT REGARDING THE FIELD

Please read the following letter from Alderman Napolitano to the Chicago Public School Board. We are very thankful for the historical background he gives on the topic, given that the board has changed over in 2024 and 2025, and will be going through elections to have a fully elected board next year.
Attached in his letter but not attached here, was a 2023 promissory note from a CPS senior advisor, to the Alderman stating that the field was part of the capital plan. Our necessary project got lost in the shuffle. We need to make noise...

Dear Members of the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education,

I write to strongly urge you to include the long-promised Onahan Elementary School field improvement project in your upcoming Capital Improvement Budget and to fully fund its completion.

For years, the Onahan community, parents, students, educators, and local elected officials, has advocated for this critical investment. I have personally attended numerous Board meetings to request action on this project. CPS previously committed, in writing, to include the Onahan field improvement in the 2023 Capital Budget and then again verbally in 2024, only for it to be removed from the final plans, that decision was deeply disappointing and has only intensified the community’s concern that this long-overdue project continues to be deferred.

The need is clear, and the cost of inaction is growing. What was estimated at $4.6 million in 2022 has now risen to approximately $8 million. Continued delays will only drive that number higher, placing an even greater burden on CPS in the future.

It is unacceptable for CPS to shift the responsibility for core, promised infrastructure improvements onto parents, school communities, independent donors, or local elected officials, particularly when those officials’ resources are already dedicated to essential services such as streets, sidewalks, and public safety. This is a fundamental school infrastructure project, and it must be treated as such.

Over the past six years, CPS has allocated more than $3.4 billion toward capital improvements:

FY2021: $758 million
FY2022: $672 million
FY2023: $644.5 million
FY2024: $155 million
FY2025: $611.1 million
FY2026: $555.9 million

Within that context, the Onahan field project represents just 0.235% of those total investments, a modest request with a meaningful impact. Despite this, the Onahan community and the broader Northwest Side have yet to see this critical improvement funded.

This is an opportunity for the Board to restore trust, honor prior commitments, and deliver a safe, modern recreational space that will benefit students and the surrounding community for generations to come. With continued advocacy from elected officials and unified support from the community, I am hopeful that CPS will take the necessary step to prioritize and fund this project in full.

Thank you for your consideration and for your continued service to the students and families of Chicago.

Respectfully

Anthony Napolitano

41st Ward Alderman

773.631.2241

www.chicago41.com

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WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT THE FIELD? MAKE NOISE AND JOIN US:

ATTEND A CAPITAL PLANNING MEETING BELOW
FILL OUT THE SURVEY BELOW
WE HAVE SOME MOMENTUM WITH CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ED BANNON AND JENI CUSTER ENGAGING WITH US
STATE REPRESENTATIVE MARTWICK AND LAPOINTE ARE WORKING ON SOLUTIONS
WE HAVE SUPPORT FROM OUR ALDERMAN NAPOLITANO AND ALDERMAN GARDNER
REPRESENTATIVE QUIGLEY HAS RAISED $850,000 AND WROTE ANOTHER GRANT FOR MORE
CURRENTLY ONAHAN PARENTS ARE PROBLEM SOLVING AND LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS TO MOVE ALONG ON THE PROJECT
COME TO OUR LSC MEETINGS TO KEEP MOMENTUM GOING - APRIL 16TH @ 6:30PM

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) will host five meetings in April to engage communities on capital priorities as the District works to develop its Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Plan. The capital plan is a part of the District’s overall budget that will be presented to the Board of Education later this summer. The meetings — which will be led by the CPS Capital Department, Office of Equity, and Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) — are intended to provide communities with an understanding of the District’s capital planning process and help the District prioritize critical capital needs. Participants for any of the meetings listed below should register here or tune in to the live-stream on CPS’ YouTube Channel. The Capital Planning Survey will be available until April 30th.

Tuesday, April 14th 3:00pm - 4:30pm (English/Spanish, Virtual)
Thursday, April 16th 5:30pm - 7:00pm (English/Spanish, Virtual)
Tuesday, April 21st 1:00pm - 2:30pm (English/Spanish, Colman Admin Office; 4655 S. Dearborn St.)
Tuesday, April 21st 5:30pm - 7:00pm (English/Spanish, Colman Admin Office; 4655 S. Dearborn St.)
Tuesday, April 28th 5:30pm - 7:00pm (Español Solo, Virtual)

Please share this flyer with friends and family. English and Spanish.

This is a heartwarming day with downright wholesome fun. Don't miss out! FIELD DAY VOLUNTEER SIGN UP

Along with Friends of Onahan, we are working on refreshing the playground, "four square area" and the basketball court. We don't want to reveal all the details, yet, but we would love to connect with any parents who may have contacts for paint donations or discounts, as well as playground striping/line painting. Please contact Assistant Principal DeJulio at srlohman@cps.edu.

We need upcoming kindergarteners registered to plan for staffing next fall. If you know families that have a student coming, please let them know to contact Onahan at (773) 534-1180, or come to the open house for more information.

SCHOOL TO HOME CONNECTION...

Sign up to receive the CPS Early Childhood newsletter, and get an alert when the SY26-27 application opens. https://www.cps.edu/ChicagoEarlyLearning/connect/

This April, families across Chicago can apply for high-quality Chicago Early Learning programs for children from birth to age five. Explore options across CPS schools and Community-Based Organizations to find a program that fits your family’s needs.

When applying, families will be able to choose from over 500 high-quality early learning programs for every child in every neighborhood in Chicago.

Explore Program Options

Chicago Early Learning offers two types of programs designed to support children from birth to age five and meet families where they are.

CPS School-Based Programs (Ages 3–4)
Chicago Public Schools offers Pre-K programs for 4-year-olds and half-day programs for 3-year-olds.

Community-Based Organization (CBO) Programs (Ages 0–5)
Community-Based Early Learning and Preschool Programs serve families with children from birth to age five and offer programs for expecting mothers. They include Head Start, Early Head Start, Infant-Toddler programs, Home-Visiting Programs, and Doula Programs. Hours vary by site.