South Side Chicago school unveils $10.5M expansion with art, music rooms and science labs

Published September 29, 2026 7:30 AM CDT

For hundreds of students on Chicago’s South Side, school is about to look very different.

Auburn Gresham school expansion

LEARN Hunter Perkins, a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, is unveiling a $10.5 million expansion Tuesday morning.

The school serves about 550 students. Until now, it did not have dedicated classrooms for art or music, or hands-on science labs.

The expansion adds those spaces, along with more classrooms to help address overcrowding.

The project also includes a new gym. It will serve students and eventually be available to the surrounding Auburn Gresham community.

Funding

The project was funded by Learn and the state of Illinois. It includes a $4.1 million state appropriation secured by state Sen. Willie Preston.

What's next:

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.

For students, the expansion means more room to learn and new spaces designed for creating, experimenting and playing.

The Source: The information in this story came from school officials at LEARN Hunter Perkins.

Auburn GreshamEducationNews