Chicago District Ponders Residential Program for Homeless Teens

The Chicago school district is exploring the possibility of opening a residential program for homeless teenagers who attend one of its charter high schools, officials said last week.

If the idea proves workable, it could serve as the first step in a larger effort to provide meals, a safe home, and supportive social and medical services to youths in need of those basic services. It could also make Chicago the first school district in the country to provide housing for homeless students who attend its schools.

“There are so many kids with great assets, great potential, and outside-of-school challenges are getting in the way of them being the strong students they can be,” said Josh Edelman, who oversees new-school development for...