Lincoln Park High Drops Arabic for Freshmen as CPS Faces $732.5 Million Deficit

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 2

Lincoln Park High School will stop offering Arabic to incoming freshmen, while the 16 students already in the track can complete their final year.
A projected $732.5 million Chicago Public Schools deficit drove broader staffing cuts, and the school said Arabic had only 20 students this year and the weakest IB language test results.
More than 1,500 people signed a petition urging the school to reverse the move, while students and CAIR-Chicago argued the program supports inclusion, diversity and practical language skills.
Lincoln Park had tried to sustain the program with a one-time $100,000 Qatar Foundation International grant awarded in 2022, but school leaders said low interest and limited funding made it unsustainable.
CPS said nine other district schools still offer Arabic, underscoring how budget pressure is narrowing options at individual campuses rather than eliminating the language systemwide.

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With Arabic thriving in other Chicago schools, did poor promotion or budget realities truly doom the program at Lincoln Park High?

Did scrutiny over its foreign funding play a hidden role in the decision to cut the school's Arabic language program?

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