More school supplies thrown in dumpsters outside former Acero charter schools taken over by Chicago Public Schools
A day after a CBS News Chicago report on people pulling unused school supplies from the dumpsters outside an elementary school in the Avondale neighborhood, Chicago Public Schools offered a new explanation, claiming the dumpsters are not for disposal.
This answer comes after CBS News Chicago found it might be part of a pattern, with more discarded books at another location.
After discussing her discovery of hundreds of school supplies tossed in dumpsters outside Carlos Fuentes Elementary School, Ashley Di Bella said she discovered a pattern, with more school supplies in dumpsters outside Esmeralda Santiago Elementary School in Humboldt Park.
"The reality is, sometimes what we say and what we do are different. So, I decided, just on a gut feeling, to go check it out," she said. "And immediately, once I got there, I saw the dumpster. It was even labeled Book Dumpster. Within there, tons of art, childhood classics, Dr. Seuss, different books within there. And then in the other dumpster, there was a bicycle and, you know, a printer and some other, bigger items that could have been used by some schools."
Santiago Elementary and Fuentes Elementary are two of five former Acero charter schools now being absorbed by Chicago Public Schools.
CPS previously said the items in the dumpsters met charter school standards, but not theirs.
In a new statement on Tuesday, CPS said the items in the dumpsters were "meant for recycling or donation. These items are not meant for trash disposal."
But the items in the dumpsters got soaked over the weekend amid severe storms.
"Almost everything is ruined, because of the rain, which is very unfortunate. So many books," Jana Signer said.
One of the main concerns people have raised about the supplies thrown in the dumpsters were that they could have been reused.
Barbara Koenen, executive director of Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange in Auburn, is preparing for their back-to-school event on Aug. 21 and 22, when they will offer teachers a chance to come in and get supplies for a fraction of their retail price.
Koenen said they would have jumped at the opportunity to collect the items left in the dumpster, giving the items a second life with students before the rain rolled in.
"It would be a perfect connection. If there's any schools that are still unloading surplus, we would be interested in taking it in," she said.
Asked why the items would have been left in an outdoor dumpster ahead of a rainy weekend, a CPS spokesperson said employees had been placing a tarp over the dumpster.
"These tarps had to be removed from time to time in order for employees to safely and appropriately dispose of items," the spokesperson said.
CPS did not explain why that tarp wasn't in place amid torrential rain this weekend.
The school district said the a waste and recycling management company is scheduled to pick up the bins of supplies this week to be transferred to a recycling center.
"The District is always evaluating the disposal process at its schools so that usable supplies can be provided by community partners, families, or local organizations," a CPS spokesperson said.
