Alderman Matt O'Shea, 19th, left, and State Sen. Bill Cunningham pander to the NEGROES .... Let's close down white schools and fix up black schools!

Ald. Matt O'Shea, whose plan to reconfigure schools within the 19th Ward has drawn criticism from some residents, took a different tack when explaining the controversial proposal Monday — presenting it as crucial to freeing up money to renovate crumbling Esmond Elementary, a nearly all-black, low-income school in Morgan Park that he called "the greatest need in our community."

He opened the evening's presentation of his plan to relocate or consolidate four elementary schools in his district by rolling out staff from Esmond, which is not part of the restructuring plan, to detail the substandard conditions at their building and plead for help.

"To me, these two items are absolutely linked," said O'Shea, who explained that under his proposal, a portion of the $20 million previously being considered for construction of a junior high expansion at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences in Mount Greenwood would go to upgrading Esmond.

"If we do nothing, the children at Esmond, most of whom live in poverty, will be forced to learn in an unsafe environment, and for me that's not an option," he said.

CLICK FOR MORE