CHICAGO – Less than a week after the Chicago public school district announced it will close 54 schools and consolidate 11 others, students have taken to the streets in protest.

Members of the group “Chicago Students Organizing to Save Our Schools” demonstrated in front of the district’s South Clark Street headquarters just before noon on Monday, reports the Huffington Post.

Students held signs that read, “Rahm, Stop Stealing Our Education” and “Rahm: Bathing in Public’s Tears & Money.”

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Brian Sturgess, a senior at Paul Robeson High School in Englewood, told reporters he was concerned the school closures would result in higher rates of gang violence and larger class sizes.

“Schools merging with each other force even more students into compact classrooms under one instructor,” Sturgess said. “Students will now receive even less individual attention, sending them to high school without being able to… solve simple math problems.”

Seems Sturgess has been comparing notes with the Chicago Teachers Union, as his concerns mirror those of the union.

Barbara Byrd-Bennett, chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools, defended the closings and said the money saved will be reinvested into the remaining classrooms.

“For too long children in certain parts of Chicago have been cheated out of the resources they need to succeed because they are in underutilized, under-resourced schools,” said Byrd-Bennett. “By consolidating these schools, we can focus on safely getting every child into a better performing school close to their home.”

City officials say the plan will save the school district $560 million over 10 years in capital costs and another $43 million per year in operational costs. Chicago has closed about 100 schools since 2001, and is working on reducing a $1 billion deficit.

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This is not the first time Chicago students have taken to the streets in protest. Last September, many students rallied in support of the Chicago Teachers Union during contract negotiations with the district. However, when asked by reporters, few could explain why or what they were protesting.

More than likely, students are taking their talking points from their teachers and the union, who have a vested interest in keeping schools open that has little to do with student learning.  The CTU knows school closures will lead to teacher layoffs, which means there will be fewer teachers paying dues that fill the union’s bank accounts.

The closings represent about 8 percent of Chicago’s 681 public schools. Roughly 30,000 CPS students and parents will be affected by the changes.