(CNN) — The Chicago Board of Education voted Wednesday to close 50 schools in the city, according to a statement from the school district.
The vote comes two months after officials announced plans to shutter the schools.
Citing the Chicago Public Schools chief executive officer, the school district’s statement said the closures “will consolidate underutilized schools and programs to provide students with the quality, 21st century education they need to succeed in the classroom.”
The Chicago Teachers Union had opposed the closures, which it said would disproportionately affect African-American students. The union also warned the move would expose students to gang violence and turf wars, an apparent reference to neighborhood loyalties.
