Special Education Kids Fight For Scraps As City Touts Shiny New Developments

In the last week’s Hunger Games-style competition for survival, it was developers one, kids with special needs nothing.

        I call it Rezko Field cause it was once owned by Tony Rezko, the notorious wheeler-dealer who wound up doing prison time on corruption charges.

        In the case of Rezko and Ricketts fields, the city or developers have neglected to say how much public subsidies will be required. Be warned, Chicago, both projects are in tax increment financing districts, so it’s just a matter of time before you get stuck with a bill.

I say no new communities until you take care of the ones you already have.

        In 2017, state rep Sonya Harper of Englewood introduced HB 3720, a bill intended to force the mayor to spend surplus TIF dollars on special education programs.

        The bill passed the house. But it died in the state senate, a common fate for school bills that Mayor Emanuel opposes.