Budget & finance

Chicago Board of Education members took the extraordinary step of attending negotiations

The Chicago Teachers Union says Trump’s mass deportation plans make it especially urgent for the district to agree to a new contract before 2025.

The unions have raised concerns that some CTU proposals would shave away power from their members.

School board members called on the district to settle with its teachers union on the same day the union asked them to intervene.

The charter operator said it needs to close seven schools on the Southwest Side because of a budget deficit. Chicago Board of Education members said they will work to find alternatives to campus closures.

The mayor wants to send CPS roughly $300 million, but that’s less than what the district CEO has requested.

Chicago Public Schools raised pay and added staff with the help of federal COVID aid. The loss of that money is fueling leadership turmoil.

Chicago alderpeople questioned Martinez over the school system’s budget as Mayor Brandon Johnson continues to spar with CPS over financial troubles at both city hall and the school district.

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said he has been asking for the city to contribute more Tax Increment Financing funds to CPS in order to stabilize its budget.

The resignations will come after weeks of pressure from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration to oust CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and take out a high-interest loan to cover costs — which the mayor’s appointed board has so far declined to do.

In recent contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union, the district proposed consolidating the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund with the state’s Teacher Retirement System.

Chicago schools chief denies teachers union claim that he is looking to consolidate schools

The union said its proposals present opportunities for students of color, and asked the district to explore ways to raise more money.

With no clarity about how Chicago Public Schools will fund a new teachers contract, negotiations have not progressed significantly over the past few months.

Forty-nine Illinois school districts are still below 70% adequately funded, according to the state.

As federal COVID relief runs out, Chicago Public Schools is cutting back funding for after-school programs.

The district is adjusting bell times and creating transportation hubs in order to provide busing to more students.

The budget plan, which closed a $505 million deficit, faced pushback from school communities, the teachers union, and even the mayor’s office.

Critics urge the district to push for more funding — and more spending — rather than cuts.

In its budget proposal, Chicago Public Schools is giving charters a slight funding boost overall, although some could still get funding cuts.