Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools students are set to return after a brief break. To help families prepare for the reopening of the district, the Chicago Teacher's Union is providing supplies and support. This assistance comes despite the school district facing reported financial challenges.

Hundreds of high school students are gaining professional experience this summer through the Chicago Public Schools' internship program. The district is offering job skills development to CPS students via a six-week summer internship program.

Chicago Public Schools will open 15 more Sustainable Community Schools this year, expanding the program to 51 schools. The initiative, launched in 2018 with the Chicago Teachers Union, provides $500,000 annually to partner with nonprofits for student and family support. A Chalkbeat analysis highlights mixed outcomes, including higher graduation rates but also unspent funds and challenges in partnerships.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is seeking financing to address a budget imbalance, requiring the district to borrow money to ensure schools open on time and employees are paid. A debate continues over $150 million in state funding.

Chicago Public Schools will expand its Sustainable Community Schools program by adding 15 campuses, bringing the total to 51. These schools receive $500,000 annually to partner with nonprofits for student and family support, though prior analyses show mixed outcomes and unspent funds.

Chicago’s school board passed a $10 billion budget preserving jobs but relying on $150 million in uncertain state funding. The district may need a short-term loan to cover September payroll, which could be costly due to high interest. The budget decision is tied to political tensions over Illinois’ school funding formula and upcoming school board elections.

Chicago Public Schools will expand the Sustainable Community Schools program to 15 more schools, increasing the total to 51. Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the expansion on Monday.

Fifteen more Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are being designated as Sustainable Community Schools, expanding their role as community hubs with additional support services.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates pledged to collect petition signatures for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s re-election, citing his school funding efforts. The CTU and other teachers' unions contributed over $6 million to Johnson’s 2023 campaign. Critics highlight concerns over academic performance and the union’s $50 billion-plus demand list during 2024 negotiations.

Mayor Brandon Johnson has not announced whether he will run for a second term as the Chicago mayoral race takes shape, with the field of candidates growing and the race beginning to come into focus.

The legislative inspector general report on Harry Benton has been released. Governor Pritzker discusses the likelihood of state funding for Chicago Public Schools.

Chicago’s school board passed a $10 billion budget preserving jobs but relying on $150 million in uncertain state funding. The district faces potential short-term financing challenges to pay employees in September, risking school delays, as the budget is tied to political tensions over Illinois’ school funding formula and an upcoming November election.

Chicago Public Schools plans to reduce funding for high schools that replaced police officers with restorative justice programs, cutting the budget for Whole School Safety Plans from $8.7 million to $4 million and reducing staff positions from 80 to 42. The district is shifting to a new framework for safety policies and claims the funding change is a planned phase-out of temporary support, not a reduction in commitment to restorative approaches.

Chicago Public Schools’ lunchroom workers, represented by Unite Here Local 1, are moving closer to a strike as their union initiates a fact-finding process in ongoing contract negotiations. The union demands higher pay and staffing increases, citing worker struggles with housing and food insecurity, while the district faces budget cuts that may reduce lunchroom funding.

Chicago Public Schools plans to cut funding for 54 high schools that replaced police officers with restorative justice programs, reducing annual funding from $8.7 million to $4 million and staff positions from 80 to 42. The district is also introducing a new framework to expand safety policies districtwide, including social-emotional learning and restorative practices.

The Chicago Board of Education is set to vote on the Chicago Public Schools budget on Thursday. CPS warns it will be unable to make payroll in September if the budget does not pass.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Connie Anderson to the CPS school board, filling a vacancy left by Olga Bautista. Anderson, who filed candidacy paperwork for District 10b, faces challenges to her petition signatures. The appointment marks Johnson's last as mayoral control of the school board ends in 30 years.

Chicago Public Schools faces a budget crisis requiring a $9.96 billion plan to cut teachers, boost special education staff, and freeze spending by September to avoid payroll delays. Delays in property tax revenue from Cook County and the need to secure short-term loans have forced the district to seek immediate budget approval, despite disagreements over cuts and reliance on uncertain state funding.

Milwaukee is recruiting laid-off Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teachers as the Chicago Board of Education prepares to vote on its budget. The article highlights the potential impact of the budget decision on CPS staff and Milwaukee's response to the situation.

Milwaukee Public Schools held a recruitment event in Chicago near Wrigley Field to hire up to 200 teachers. The initiative follows layoffs at Chicago Public Schools.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) will start the upcoming school year with a less than 1% overall staffing cut compared to last year, but hundreds of new special education positions will be added at some campuses. Over 200 schools will see staff increases, while others face significant staff reductions, as the district works to address a $732.5 million deficit. Schools with staffing changes serve a high proportion of students from low-income households.

Chicago's transition to a fully-elected school board resulted in some districts having only one candidate on the ballot after signature challenges. Tameka Walton, a District 10a candidate, was removed due to insufficient valid signatures but plans a write-in campaign. Eleven candidates faced ballot removal challenges, with five remaining under review.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) will start the upcoming school year with a less than 1% overall staffing cut compared to last year, though more than 200 schools will see staff increases, particularly in special education positions. The district faces a $732.5 million deficit and is finalizing a nearly $10 billion budget plan that includes layoffs and expanded special education roles.

Chicago Public Schools removed five furlough days from its budget proposal in response to community feedback and pushback from unions and board members. The district revised its TIF surplus revenue assumptions by $85 million to avoid unpaid staff days, though unions continue to criticize the revised proposal for insufficient staffing.

Chicago Public Schools' Local School Councils (LSCs) empower parents, teachers, and community members to influence school decisions, including principal evaluations and budget approvals. The article highlights disparities in school board district sizes, particularly on the West Side, and challenges like limited parent engagement due to meeting times and recruitment efforts. Bernard Clay, a community representative on an LSC, emphasizes resource gaps and accessibility issues.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) reports that delayed tax collections from Cook County are increasing borrowing costs. The issue coincides with a persistent budget gap at CPS.

The union representing Chicago school support staff (SEIU Illinois State Council) endorsed Jessica Biggs for school board president and over a dozen district representatives, diverging from the Chicago Teachers Union's support for Hilario Dominguez. The split affects 10 school board races, with both unions backing different candidates, though they align on five others. SEIU's endorsement highlights Biggs' experience with school budget impacts and her prior role as a CPS principal.

A study found that neighborhoods with long-vacant school buildings from Chicago's 2013 mass school closures saw a 10% increase in gun violence compared to similar areas. Former schools, including Matthew Henson Elementary in North Lawndale, remain abandoned despite city plans to repurpose them, with most closures affecting majority-Black communities.

Chicago Public Schools is reconsidering overhauling its middle management amid budget constraints and debates over the role of network offices. Staffing in these offices, which connect schools and district headquarters, has fluctuated significantly, with a recent dip due to financial deficits. Critics argue the structure is opaque, while some principals credit networks for stability.

A study found a 10% increase in gun violence in Chicago neighborhoods surrounding vacant former public schools closed in 2013, particularly in majority-Black areas. Matthew Henson Elementary School in North Lawndale, now owned by MKB Business Strategies, is among 50 closed schools, most of which remained vacant despite a 2017 city goal to address them.

A plan to build a Pete’s Fresh Market in Bronzeville, delayed for over six years, is set to be presented to Chicago’s Plan Commission on August 20. Developer Zeb McLaurin aims to secure land approval for the grocery store and retail spaces on the former Stateway Gardens site, with construction potentially starting in 2027 after resolving ownership disputes involving the city, Chicago Housing Authority, and Chicago Public Schools.

Chicago Public Schools stakeholders discussed the district's 2026 budget during hearings, warning that layoffs and furloughs remain possible without a significant bailout plan. The budget crisis has raised concerns about potential workforce reductions.

Chicago Public Schools is conducting public budget hearings. The Chicago Teachers Union is opposing proposed job cuts and furlough days.

The Chicago Public Schools budget proposal includes teacher layoffs, reigniting debate about maintaining under-enrolled schools. The proposal has sparked discussions on the future of schools with low enrollment.

Over $1.6 million has been raised in Chicago school board election campaigns since October, with contribution caps lifted for the board president race. Key candidates include Victor Hendorson, Hilario Dominguez, Jessica Biggs, Jennifer Custer, and Sendhil Revuluri, as Chicago prepares for its first fully elected school board in November.

The Chicago City Council is scrutinizing the city's budget due to failed revenue projections and proposed cuts to the Chicago Public Schools. During a meeting, council members questioned Johnson's budget team regarding a half-year budget shortfall.

Chicago School Board members are divided over a Chicago Public Schools budget proposal that includes teacher layoffs and furloughs. The proposal has sparked disagreement among board members.

Chicago Public Schools released a $9.88 billion 2026-27 budget amid financial strain, including five furlough days, a spending freeze, and layoffs of 760 teachers and 800 support staff. The district seeks additional state or city funding to avoid cuts, while unions and school board members criticize the measures as harmful to students.

Anita Blanton and Chalkbeat reporter Mila Koumpilova discuss delays in Chicago Public Schools' Black Student Success Plan, which have frustrated advocates. The U.S. Department of Education has withheld grant funds related to the plan.

Chicago Public Schools laid off 161 employees to address a $732 million budget deficit, with 82 central office and 80 citywide positions affected.