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Board tables EPIC Academy charter amendment after heated debate over wind-down and repayment terms
Summary
Chicago Board of Education debated a last-minute amendment requiring a wind-down plan and repayment of additional funds from EPIC Academy property proceeds; the amendment failed in a roll call and the board voted to table the EPIC item to a later meeting for further review and planning.
The Chicago Board of Education on Oct. 30 debated and ultimately tabled a proposed amendment to the EPIC Academy charter action that would have required a district-prepared wind-down plan and repayment of additional funds by the charter operator.
The amendment on the floor would have added language directing the chief portfolio officer to prepare a wind-down plan in consultation with EPIC students, families and staff, and would have required EPIC Academy to repay $1,400,000 in additional FY26 funding by Dec. 31, 2026, potentially from proceeds of any sale of school property. Board members discussed a Dec. 3, 2025 deadline for the wind-down plan and raised legal and labor concerns about guaranteed employment offers for staff.
Why it matters: EPIC Academy is proposing to cease operations and return its charter effective July 1, 2026, and the board is considering how to protect student continuity and hold charter operators financially accountable during midyear or end-of-year closures. Parents, teachers and union leaders urged the board to secure plans that keep students and staff together and to recoup public funds if charter operators sell assets.
Union and teacher testimony set the tone for the debate. Jen Conant, CTU charter division chair, told the board, "It is to ensure that any funds or profit from the sale of EPIC's additional school property go back to the district," and asked the board either to reject or significantly amend the EPIC proposal so the school community has a voice and a plan. Vicky Kurzidlo, speaking for CTU members, said the district must increase oversight of charter networks facing midyear layoffs.
Epic staff and teachers described the school's importance to students. "EPIC isn't just a school building, it's people," Andrew Escalante, a social studies teacher and coach at EPIC Academy, said, urging the board to demand a plan that protects the community and keeps staff and students together where possible.
District staff responded that family outreach and planning are underway. Acting Chief Education Officer Alfonso Carmona said the district scheduled a town hall on Nov. 4 to present options and that staff would provide families with letters; Carmona said, "you will receive those letters before this meeting ends." He also said the district is preparing seats at other schools and hosting a high-school fair to support transitions.
Board debate focused on timing and enforceability. Members questioned whether the amendment's repayment deadline and employment-related language conflicted with existing labor agreements and whether legal counsel had adequate time to review a late amendment. One board member apologized on the record for an earlier personal remark during the discussion.
The roll-call vote on the intervening amendment failed, with 2 ayes, 6 nays and 11 abstentions. Following that result, the board voted to lay over (table) the EPIC board report to the next meeting; that motion passed on a 19–0 roll-call vote.
What comes next: The EPIC charter amendment will return to the board at a later meeting for further consideration and likely after updated language and legal review. The district said it would proceed with outreach to EPIC families, including a town hall and school-placement options for students.
Sources: Board meeting public participation and roll-call votes on Oct. 30, 2025.
