CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools is hosting five community listening sessions over the next week, giving parents a chance to weigh in on the district’s budget as it faces a $730 million deficit.
On Friday, CPS announced that 1,458 positions will be eliminated ahead of the upcoming school year. The cuts are a 3.2% increase from last year’s 1,110 layoffs and include:
- 432 teachers, including 132 special education teachers, who are members of the Chicago Teachers Union
- 311 paraprofessionals and school-related staff, such as teacher assistants and tech coordinators
- 677 special education classroom assistants, who are members of SEIU Local 73
- 33 security officers and five parent workers, who are also members of SEIU Local 73
The first community meeting is underway at Dyett High School, where parents can share their feedback and ideas on how the district should address the deficit. A second meeting will be held on Tuesday at Westinghouse High School.
CPS Interim CEO Macquline King told WGN’s Mike Lowe that passing a balanced budget is her top priority. She said all options are on the table, including additional state funding and potentially borrowing money.
“We prioritize cuts away from the classroom,” King said. “Any services that support, especially, our most vulnerable students, we vehemently oppose. We’re fighting to make sure cuts are not made to the classroom.”
The district receives roughly $1 billion in federal funding annually, but officials say the current budget gap is partly due to the expiration of pandemic-era relief funds and increased pension obligations. It’s still unclear how potential federal funding changes under the Trump administration might impact CPS going forward.
The district plans to host a hiring fair in hopes of retaining some employees. CPS says with previous layoffs, about 80% of employees were able to find a new job within the school system.
The first day of school for CPS students is August 18, and the budget must be approved by August 28.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
