Hello Catalyst families!
We hope that you are safe, healthy and are doing well! Please find Catalyst Circle Rock and Catalyst Maria's re-opening plans linked below, and while these may be updated moving forward, please reach out to our school teams with questions or concerns! Thank you for all that you bring to the Catalyst community and stay safe!
Catalyst Circle Rock Re-Opening Plan March 2021
Catalyst Maria Re-Opening Plan March 2021
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced three winning proposals as part of the City of Chicago’s INVEST South/West program this week at the Kehrein Center for the Arts. One of the projects, near the Catalyst Circle Rock campus, includes a mixed-use residential complex anchored by a blues museum, cafe, rental building, gardens, and a sustainable food/culinary campus. The three sites the Mayor announced include the former Laramie State Bank in Austin (described above) and sites in Auburn Gresham and Englewood, with the projects valued at more than $65 million.
"Initiatives such as INVEST South/West are critical in advancing our goal to enhance the socioeconomic vibrancy of our historic South and West Sides," Mayor Lightfoot said. "Each of these winning proposals will contribute to this goal by giving residents access to new and exciting cultural, affordable housing, employment resources. I look forward to seeing these projects come to life and supporting other INVEST South/West projects just like them in the near future."
A press release on the initiative is linked here and a Chicago Sun-Times article on the event and initiative is linked here.
In January 2021, Environmental Group Services, Limited (EGSL) personnel performed a visual inspection, temperature, relative humidity, carbon monoxide/dioxide and airborne particulate matter (PM10) surveys at Catalyst Catalyst Circle Rock and Catalyst Maria Charter Schools.
The investigation included the visual inspection of all classrooms, offices and common areas within the school buildings, and temperature, relative humidity, carbon monoxide/dioxide and airborne particulate matter (PM10) values were measured, providing an overall assessment of the IAQ in the buildings.
All values were within acceptable parameters and reports to this effect are available below:
If you have any questions, please contact Catalyst Schools Director of Operations Mr. Philip Smith at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Catalyst is teaming with the City of Chicago, Rush and Loretto Hospitals, and community organizations to establish Catalyst Circle Rock as a COVID-19 vaccination site for the Austin neighborhood beginning March 13, 2021.
Any Austin resident age 18+ can now sign up for the COVID vaccine, regardless of priority grouping. There are two ways to register for a COVID vaccine:
Vaccines are being scheduled through Rush Hospital, who will administer the vaccines at Catalyst Circle Rock. Vaccines will be scheduled on Sundays beginning March 13, 2021.
Catalyst will be teaming with the City of Chicago, Rush and Loretto Hospitals, and community organizations to establish Catalyst Circle Rock as a COVID-19 vaccination site for the Austin neighborhood beginning March 13, 2021. The goal is to fully vaccinate 10% of the Austin population - nearly 10,000 residents - over 8 weeks. Any resident of Austin, regardless of priority group, is eligible to register for the vaccine, with more information to be shared at a Town Hall meeting this Saturday (more information below).
