City spending $75M to upgrade science labs at more than 80 high schools

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The City of Chicago has announced a $75 million investment to add, upgrade and renovate 82 high school science labs.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the labs will be state of the art, and taxpayers will be on the hook for the improvement.

"Every student in Chicago deserves equitable access to resources that make learning come to life," Emanuel said. "Chicago's students are leading the country in academic gains, and this investment in state-of-the-art science labs in high schools across Chicago will accelerate that unprecedented progress and inspire the next generation of scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs in our city."

Chicago Public School teachers will be trained to implement new science curriculum through workshops with Northwestern University's Baxter Center for Science Education.

"Labs are designed for experimentation, learning and inspiration, and when students are given state-of-the-art labs, along with quality instruction, the possibilities are endless," said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. "In today's economy, providing students with a high quality STEM education is more important than ever, and CPS and the City of Chicago are working together to ensure that every student in every neighborhood has a state-of-the-art science lab to prepare them for success in the 21st Century."

The announcement was made Tuesday morning at Crane Medical Prep High School.