ASPIRA Students Reunite at Special Prom Event

Jesus Lara, dressed in a black suit and silk tie, scanned the entryway of the Chicago Teachers Union headquarters. The space was adorned with blue drapery and lights spelling ‘prom.’ Lara, 18, smiled when he saw familiar faces. This event marked one of the few times he had gathered with friends and classmates from ASPIRA Business & Finance High School in recent months.

Like many of his peers, Lara spent the past two months attending a new school. His shift to Lake View High School followed the revocation of his original school’s charter by the Chicago Board of Education in March. Officials cited ‘systemic fiscal mismanagement’ for the charter revocation, a claim the ASPIRA leadership disputed, pointing instead to declining enrollment and rising labor costs.

The charter revocation led to the closure of ASPIRA Business & Finance High School and ASPIRA Early College High School. Approximately 570 students, including many seniors, transferred to other Chicago public schools. For seniors, this meant leaving their established community just months before graduation.

At the CTU-prom event, organized for relocated ASPIRA seniors, Lara and his friends enjoyed the chance to reconnect. “We all went to separate schools, so it feels nice to see them again,” Lara said.

Another senior, Esmeralda Navichoque, 18, transferred to Carl Schurz High School, describing the transition as ‘weird.’ For her, the ASPIRA prom was a chance to reunite with long-time friends. “I’m more excited about this event because I know more people here,” she stated. Fellow senior Melody Diaz, 18, transferred to Theodore Roosevelt High School. Though her new classmates were welcoming, Diaz found it hard to form deep friendships with little time left in the year.

CTU Charter Division Chair Jennifer Conant explained that the event aimed to let ASPIRA seniors celebrate their four years together before moving on. About 70 students attended the event, which included dining and dancing at the CTU headquarters. Familiar faces, including ASPIRA teachers and staff, chaperoned the event, offering an opportunity to reconnect with former students.

“This prom is a chance for ASPIRA seniors to reflect and celebrate together,” Conant noted. Despite warm welcomes at their new schools, the ASPIRA seniors faced disruptions to their routines. Conant expressed appreciation for the new schools’ efforts and for reuniting students at CTU events like the prom, a special luncheon, and graduation.

The experience was echoed by senior Yuriel Garcia, 18, who transferred to Schurz High School. Garcia enjoyed reconnecting with former classmates and making new memories. “I had some friends at my new school, but this feels nice, that they’re doing something just for us,” Garcia shared.