Mayor Daley Breaks Ground on New Back of the Yards High School

Mayor Richard M. Daley, Alderman Cardenas and other community representatives today participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Back of the Yards High School located at 2111 W. 47th Street in the New City community on the City’s southwest side.

“These groundbreakings reflect our ongoing commitment to build and improve schools all across Chicago,” said Mayor Richard M. Daley. “Our goal is to make every neighborhood school a high quality school that a parent wants to send their child to because it offers our students a great opportunity for a solid education.”

The planning, design and construction of the new high school is being managed by the PBC on behalf of the Chicago Public Schools. Construction is scheduled to begin in Summer 2011 and the new school is projected to be complete and open for students in Fall 2013.

The school implements the new Urban Model High School prototype developed by the PBC on behalf of the Chicago Public Schools. The prototype design features steel frame and masonry construction and accommodates at least 1,200 students.

Along with standard classroom space, the facility will include amenities such as computer labs, science labs, visual arts classrooms, performing arts classrooms, distance learning lab, college resource center, library/media resource center, gymnasium, natatorium with six-lane pool, fitness/weight room, administrative suite, nurse and student support service, kitchen and dining facilities and a state-of-the-art computer network.

Exterior amenities include a combination football and soccer field, a softball field, tennis courts, a reading garden area and a nature garden.

One key feature of this prototype design is the provision for community use on evenings and weekends. The school features separate, independent entrances for both the library and the athletic wing as well as dedicated storage and spaces for the Chicago Park District.

This project is funded through the Modern Schools Across Chicago (MSAC) initiative, an innovative program financed through a combination of Chicago Public School bonds and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds. To date, 19 new, new schools and renovations have been completed or are in development by the Public Building Commission. The MSAC projects developed by the PBC have a current projected surplus of $109 million, or 10.13%.