Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is grappling with a significant budget shortfall of $734 million, as revealed by the district’s newly appointed interim CEO, Macquline King, during a school board meeting on Thursday.
This figure marks an increase from the previously reported $529 million deficit, a change that district officials attribute to new assessments of financial obligations, including a $175 million contribution to a pension fund serving some CPS employees and various public sector workers.
The budget shortfall also accounts for an additional $30 million required to integrate five Acero charter schools into the district, an effort taken to prevent the closure of those schools by the charter network.
Former CEO Pedro Martinez maintained that the city holds the responsibility for the pension payment, and experts believe that his refusal to secure reimbursement from the city led to his termination by a school board previously appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Faced with this pressing financial challenge, King, who formerly served as a principal within CPS, is stepping into a role that comes with high expectations. Her appointment followed an 11-to-8 vote by the school board earlier this month following Martinez’s departure.
Typically, the district announces its total budget in June, following a budget of $10 billion for the previous school year. However, it remains uncertain what the financial outlook will be for the 2025-26 school year. School officials have suggested they will release a revised plan by late July or August after King has reviewed various strategies to address the deficit.
At present, CPS is faced with a daunting lack of straightforward solutions.
The previous administration led by Martinez had urged both the state and the mayor’s office to provide greater financial assistance to the district. However, state lawmakers have since passed a budget that offers only flat funding for education, and there is also no indication that the city plans to increase its allocation of special property tax revenues to CPS.
If alternative funding sources do not materialize, the district may be compelled to consider staffing cuts just ahead of the new academic year, which is slated to begin on August 18. Another option would involve exploring a short-term, high-interest loan, a strategy criticized by Martinez and other elected members of the school board as potentially increasing the district’s financial burdens.
During her remarks at the school board meeting, King did not indicate any specific plans but committed to making transparent decisions focused on student welfare and fostering collaboration.
“Transitions bring change,” she noted. “But they also bring opportunity.”
Several members of the newly appointed school board have expressed optimism regarding King’s leadership and have urged her to avoid budget cuts that would negatively impact students.
“It’s not time to talk about cuts,” board member Michilla Blaise emphasized. “It’s not time to talk about layoffs. It’s time to talk about revenue strategies.”
In anticipation of the district’s budgetary plight, the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU Local 73, which represents support staff, organized rallies calling on CPS leaders to avoid staff reductions and layoffs in the upcoming year.
At the union gatherings, speakers pressed the need for more funding from the state to uphold public education, coinciding with the announcement that Governor JB Pritzker is pursuing a third term in office.
Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, asserted that state-level funding is crucial for sustainable solutions to the district’s financial issues.
“Let’s get some revenue on the table,” she declared. “Let’s tax the rich.”
SEIU Local 73 leaders also echoed calls for enhanced state funding but placed significant pressure on the city to assist in resolving CPS’s financial challenges.
Dian Palmer, president of SEIU Local 73, emphasized that Mayor Johnson and the City Council have a unique opportunity to allocate additional Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds to the district, a request that previously led to discord between Johnson and Martinez.
At their rally, participants also raised alarms about potential funding cuts affecting students with disabilities, particularly voicing concern over possible staff reductions related to dual language programs and positions supporting students with special needs.
Parent Theresa Nuestro, whose children attend Jungman Elementary, underscored the vital role of Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECAs) in their educational journeys.
“Without adequate SECA support, our children don’t just struggle to learn,” she lamented. “They are at risk.”
While CPS has announced plans to boost investment in services for students with disabilities, including the addition of 120 new case managers and 100 clinicians, there remain unresolved concerns about how changes in the allocation of SECAs will affect support for various students.
Despite the pledge to add more SECAs based on schools’ assessments of student needs, the district is expected to reduce the number assigned to existing cluster programs that cater to children with more severe disabilities.
Jeannine Carrasquillo, a SECA with 21 years of experience in CPS, criticized the proposed staffing levels, contending that they are based on outdated guidelines that fail to reflect the actual needs of students with disabilities.
“These bare minimum numbers and layoffs of SECAs only push the idea that special education students don’t matter,” she asserted.
In addition, some students sporting T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan, “Green schools are a budget solution,” utilized the rally platform to advocate for environmentally friendly initiatives in CPS’s aging facilities, highlighting health concerns stemming from issues such as mold and unsafe drinking water.
The school board is currently deliberating a “Healthy Green Schools” resolution aimed at pursuing a minimum of a dozen clean energy projects, including solar panel installations and geothermal heating, by the 2025-26 academic year.
image source from：chalkbeat
