With school coming back in session, Chicagoland’s fifth episode returns to the debate over the state of public education in the city. More specifically, it pays close attention to the Safe Passage program, which sets up trained workers along specified routes to watch over kids getting to and from school. As the Chicagoland premiere explained, the simple walk home can be frighteningly dangerous for many Chicago students due to the city’s massive gang problem. Some 50 schools have been shuttered, so the city beefed up the program and carved out new routes to “welcoming” schools, or schools that would receive reassigned students. Expanding the program cost $68 million and led to the hiring of 600 workers to line the paths.

A key argument against the school closures was that an extended trip home would leave thousands of young Chicagoans in peril. The program’s success or failure could prove an important hurdle to clear for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, or else a very grim “I told you so” from the teachers union.

The Safe Passage program calls not only for hundreds of trained personnel, but also backup from volunteers, police and firefighters. We hear 7th District Commander Leo Schmitz try to nail down tactics over the phone. While other districts saw “one or two” schools close, Schmitz’s district said goodbye to seven. “[Other districts] are going to have to take my plan,” he says, “because if I take their plan, I can’t cover anything.”

The police prepare and it looks like we might get more than a peek at their crime prevention playbook at long last. But then, episode zips to the firefighters who will support the program’s efforts. One fire captain, Joel Burns [Yes, Burns – Ed.], is refreshingly frank. “From a tactical standpoint, I really don’t know what we’re going to do,” he says. “Because if anything were to go south, what am I gonna do? I’d have to hit them with an axe.”

Burns’ honesty permeates the episode. He asks a group of kids if they’re excited to get back to school, and recognizes one girl who replies “no” for telling the truth. From the firetruck we hear, “This is very important, you know. You’re interrupting Operation Safe Passage for me to call you. I’m only teasing you Ma, this is that bullshit where we sit and watch the school kids walk.”

Students make it across the safe passage routes to the first day of school incident-free. We learn that at Fenger High School, about 100 fewer students than expected show up to start the year. This is a cause for panic, as each student counts for $5,000 of funding from Chicago Public Schools. If the missing 100 don’t appear, that could mean more jobs lost at a school already muscling to rebound from budget cuts. Meanwhile, even elementary schools are feeling the squeeze. Barbara Byrd-Bennett, CEO of Chicago Public SChools, visits a kindergarten classroom and asks for headcount.

“Forty-four?” She repeats disbelievingly. “That’s inhumane.” Byrd-Bennett promises that CPS will send relief post haste.

Away from the education coverage, we see some lead-up to Demo Day, thrown annually by local incubator Techstars. Start-ups, after applying for the opportunity and participating in a bootcamp, make their pitches in front of a room full of investors. The behind-the-scenes commentary, some coming from OKCupid co-founder and Match.com CEO Sam Yagan, is great. On stage, we hear a series of one-liners from the presentations: “Weight loss is easy.” “We’re an offline dating platform.” “It is not going to be long until you’re doctor tells you to take two photos and call me in the morning…” Yeah, the bites screamed for more context.

Back at Fenger, Principal Liz Dozier begins organizing her staff to go door to door to lure students back. She joins them. A clear explanation for why schools like Fenger are matriculating less pupils comes in the form of an interview with rapper Lil Mouse, whose 2012 single “Get Smoked” was released when he was 12 years old. Since then, gunman have shot at his house, killing his dog who was in the backyard. Lil Mouse explains that he won’t cross gang territories to attend Fenger, his neighborhood school — instead, he’ll be homeschooled. The episode ends with Fenger staff still hitting the pavement, and Dozier’s disappointment.

I’d be slipping if I didn’t mention two more moments of note from the ep. One involves a shooting on the fourth day of school near a passage route, although no students are injured. When the series ends, we’ll take a look at how programs such as Safe Passage have fared in the last year, but until then we’ll hold such comparisons.

Two, Asean Johnson, the then 9-year-old firebrand in the fight against school closures, appears back on screen. The full footage of Johnson’s pre-closures speech is on YouTube and shared below, in case you’ve yet to see him incite a crowd.

If you caught our Episode 3 recap, you know that the scenes at the Chosen Few Picnic have been among my favorites thus far. House music “Godfather” Frankie Knuckles passed away this week. I recommend giving that episode another watch, and his music another listen.

Cassie Owens is a regular contributor to Next City. Her writing has also appeared at CNN.com, Philadelphia City Paper and other publications.

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