Pre-K to relocate to former St. Cornelius

by BRIAN NADIG

The Chicago Public Schools’ Northwest Early Education Center is scheduled to relocate from its temporary location at the former Our Lady of Victory School, 4434  N. Laramie Ave., to its permanent home at the former Saint Cornelius School, 5252 N. Long Ave., in Jefferson Park on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

The new pre-kindergarten school was expected to open on the Saint Cornelius in August, but construction delays forced CPS to lease the former OLV School until renovations could be completed. Seventy-six students are enrolled at the pre-K school.

Both the OLV and Saint Cornelius schools closed in 2016, and there are reports in recent months that a charter school has looked at opening on the OLV site. CPS owns the former Saint Cornelius School building, while OLV is for sale or lease.

The “Northwest” name is temporary, as the school community is in the process of choosing a name.

Applications for next fall will begin on April 11, at https://www.cps.edu/chica goearlylearning, according to CPS.

A construction permit is pending for the relocation of an elevator shaft at the two-story school, but there will be access to all floors and the basement when the school opens on Feb. 21, a CPS spokesperson said.