Chicago Public School leaders on Wednesday will present a full spending plan with their current thinking on how to close $734 million budget deficit for the school year that begins in less than a week.
School board members heading into the meeting said that they are taking what is presented as a “draft” that could change before they voted on a plan on Aug. 28. CPS will hold two budget hearings on Aug. 19, at 1 p.m. and at 4 p.m.
They were ushered into the meeting by chants of “no cuts” and dozens of people in purple union shirts holding brooms and mops.
Board member Karen Zaccor said she and others have heard from residents in her district that they do not want the school district to cut its way out of the deficit.
She said if that means CPS needs to take out a loan to close the deficit, then she will vote for it.
“I have been asking my constituents if we have to choose between making cuts or taking out a loan, ‘what should we do’? These are parents we are talking to, ‘they say take out a loan, don’t cut our schools,’ and I think that is what we are hearing loud and clear,” said Zaccor, who is one of 10 members appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
When CPS discussed taking a loan in the past, many, including some board members, have expressed concern about paying high interest rates that will hamstring what the school district can provide in the future.
Zaccor addressed those concerns. “It is all bad and you have to choose what is less bad, less terrible. We can not sacrifice our children now,” she said.
She and appointed member Emma Lozano said they are not sure whether CPS should pay the municipal pension payment that has long been a source of controversy. The city wants CPS to give it $175 million to help pay the employee contribution of the municipal pension fund. Though it is solely the responsibility of the city, 60% of the pensioners are former CPS employees who are not teachers.
But those two board members say they are worried about the consequences of not paying. CPS is counting on the city providing it $300 million by declaring surpluses in special taxing districts called TIFs. The $300 is already baked into the CPS budget and without it, CPS would have an even bigger deficit.
The size of the surplus is up to the mayor, but the City Council must approve it. Board members say they have been told it might be difficult to deliver all that TIF surplus money if they turn down the city’s request to pay the municipal pension payment.
But Ald. Andre Vasquez tweeted Wednesday that he supports CPS refusing to make the payment.
“This is a very responsible stance by the new CEO, which was the same stance taken by the prior CEO,” he wrote. “That should speak volumes. I do believe the city should be covering the payment as mandated by the state. The city also has more ability to cover the cost than CPS would.”
Board members are already getting blowback from cuts announced earlier this summer to close the budget gap. CPS has sent layoff notices to 500 custodians, 250 lunchroom staff and 100 crossing guards.
Several community groups held a press conference calling on the school district to maintain staffing levels and urging people to call the governor to urge him to provide more state funding.
They were followed by a press conference by SEIU, which represents special education aides, custodians and crossing guards. The union rallied to demand that CPS rescind the decisions around custodians. CPS told 1,250 custodians that their jobs with private custodial companies are being eliminated at the end of September. They can reapply to work for the school district, but only 750 will be hired back.
Rebeca Salazar said she has worked for a private custodian company for 25 years. Her husband is also a CPS custodian.
“We will be left with nothing,” she said. “I have been dedicated 25 years and now I will have to start all over. My love and dedication to this school district go behind my job.”
Sarah Karp covers education for WBEZ. Follow her on X @WBEZeducation and @sskedreporter.