Hoodline: Lincoln Park High Axes Arabic Classes, Sparks North Side Uproar

By Richard M. Sullivan | Hoodline

Lincoln Park High School is moving to phase out Arabic classes for incoming students, a quiet scheduling decision that has turned into a loud fight over whose languages and cultures get protected in Chicago’s public schools. The change shutters the International Baccalaureate Arabic sequence to future freshmen and limits the pathway to current students who will be allowed to finish the program. The call has already triggered an online petition and sharp criticism at a recent Local School Council meeting.

Families learned in late May that Arabic would disappear from the course options for new students next year. Chicago Public Schools confirmed that 16 Lincoln Park students now enrolled will still be able to take a fourth year of the language, according to the Chicago Tribune. LSC member Eric Steinmiller linked the decision to tight budgets and what he called “consistently low enrollment,” while fellow council member Amy Zemnick pointed out that a one-time $100,000 grant from Qatar Foundation International in 2022 could not carry the ongoing costs of the program. School leaders have not identified a replacement language or new staffing plan that would preserve Arabic options for future classes.

Budget Squeeze Sets the Stage

The move is playing out against a larger money crunch at Chicago Public Schools, which is operating with an estimated $732 million shortfall that officials say is forcing targeted cuts to staffing and programming, according to WTTW. Across the district, principals and Local School Councils are rethinking electives and specialty courses with smaller rosters. At Lincoln Park, council members said the limited local dollars available made it tough to justify keeping a language sequence that was not drawing big numbers.

Community Pushes Back

The community response was swift and pointed. A petition demanding that the Arabic program stay in place collected more than 1,400 signatures, with organizers arguing the cut would fall hardest on Arab-identifying students, according to reporting by the Chicago Tribune. Alumni such as Julian Sadah called the course formative, and parents and former students described Arabic classes as a key way to connect with family, culture, and a sense of confidence inside the building.

Jordan Esparza-Kelley, communications coordinator for CAIR-Chicago, labeled the removal “confusing and sad” and argued that Arabic builds the same kind of global skills often celebrated in Spanish instruction. For supporters, the decision feels out of step in a city that often touts its diversity while quietly trimming back one of the few heritage language tracks available in the district.

Program Roots and Outside Support

Arabic has been woven into Lincoln Park’s world-language and IB offerings for years, with the school’s Arabic department page describing coursework and extracurricular activities designed in part for heritage speakers. Grants and outside philanthropy have helped launch Arabic programs in Chicago schools, but observers note that one-time funding rarely covers recurring teacher salaries or day-to-day operating expenses. Qatar Foundation International has a documented track record of supporting Arabic language initiatives in the United States, according to InfluenceWatch. Lincoln Park’s Local School Council has pointed to the limits of such grants, combined with enrollment trends, as key factors behind its move.

What Comes Next

Organizers say they are not done fighting. Community members are exploring options that range from fundraising and targeted enrollment drives to asking the Chicago Board of Education to revisit the decision. Any reversal would have to fit within CPS hiring rules and a district budget already under stress, which makes quick fixes a long shot.

For many students and alumni, the dispute now goes beyond a single course listing. It has become a referendum on which language programs are allowed to survive when money is tight, and what that reveals about who ultimately benefits from public education investments in one of Chicago’s most high-profile neighborhood high schools.