Chicago Public Schools’ crossing guard staff were cut by 15% Friday as the district announced sweeping layoffs in an effort to fill a projected $734 million budget shortfall.
District officials said 161 employees in various positions were laid off and 209 vacant jobs would not be filled in what they described as a “careful and strategic approach to reduce spending while minimizing the impact on classrooms.”
Nearly all of the 87 members of SEIU Local 73 who were let go were crossing guards, officials said. Another 24 vacant crossing guard positions were closed.
Seven Chicago Teachers Union members were also laid off, with 19 open jobs eliminated. And 67 central office and network offices employees were laid off, with 166 positions across those offices closed, officials said.
The reductions come a day after interim CPS CEO Macquline King pegged the district’s budget shortfall at nearly $730 million, hundreds of millions of more than what was acknowledged by her predecessor, Pedro Martinez, who left last week after being terminated.
This initial round of layoffs only affects central office and citywide staff. Layoffs of school teachers and other school-based staff are expected to happen sometime in July. CPS usually lays off staff in May, but this year as the district transitioned its leadership, the process is delayed.
“Together, we’ve been identifying ways to be more efficient and find cost savings across our central offices and administrative functions — always with the goal of better supporting schools and students,” the district said in a statement Friday, referring to its budget office and department leaders.
“In addition to position reductions, the district has also implemented cuts to contractual services and other non-personnel expenses to further limit the impact on school communities.”
SEIU 73, the union that represents crossing guards, held a rally pleading for limited layoffs. Union leaders are concerned that the support staff they represent will be especially affected by budget cuts.
“How can they get to school safely, if there’s no crossing guards to get them back and forth?” said Doris Alexander, a crossing guard for 26 years, asked about students at a news conference earlier this week. She also said the pain of the layoffs would be felt by the families of the crossing guards, who depend on the income.
Employees affected by the central office cuts were notified Friday, and union employees were informed earlier this week.