Charter operators tell board GoCPS map and ranking tools obscure charter options; they ask for transparency and algorithm data

Representatives of Noble Schools and other charter operators told the Chicago Board of Education on Sept. 25 that the GoCPS enrollment portal does not present charter schools fairly and urged the district to fix the portal, display charter schools as guaranteed-offer options where applicable, and publish offer‑rate data.

Darko Shimonovich, chief operating officer for Noble, and colleagues said the map search function frequently shows district-run schools as the closest options even when a charter school is nearer; they offered a test case in which a downtown address returned a district school four miles away before listing a nearer charter campus. Noble asked CPS to modify the mapping to rank all nearby schools by true proximity regardless of school type. Noble also asked that charter schools appear under "guaranteed offer" options when they can guarantee enrollment up to capacity and that the portal not present charter options only under choice or selective categories that suggest testing is required.

Claudia Rodriguez, Noble’s chief of public affairs, requested that CPS publish the algorithm used to extend offers and provide application-to-offer conversion rates for the past two GoCPS cycles for both district and charter schools. That data, she said, would let families and operators assess whether charter schools are disadvantaged by the portal presentation.

Board members and CPS staff acknowledged the recurring complaints about GoCPS. Member Singleton and others said they had experienced limited visibility of charter options on the portal during their own application experience. Member Gutierrez asked CEO King to make the GoCPS review a priority so the recurring issues could be resolved and not repeatedly raised at future meetings.

No charter-specific changes were adopted at the meeting; board members asked staff to prioritize fixes and to supply data requested by operators.