Chicago to close 54 elementary schools

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago Public Schools will close 54 elementary school programs and 61 school buildings, representing 13 percent of the elementary school buildings in the country' third largest public school district, the Chicago Teachers Union said on Thursday.

Citing a list of schools to be closed provided by the district, the union said the schools would be shuttered primarily in Hispanic and African-American neighborhoods. The district, which has a $1 billion annual deficit, has said it needs to close schools to save money.

Enrollment in Chicago Public Schools has fallen 20 percent in the last decade, mainly because of population declines in poor neighborhoods. The first teachers' strike in 25 years last September resulted in a pay raise for teachers, and contributed to the district's financial crisis.

(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Greg McCune)

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