Chicago Public Schools, Illinois

Chicago Public Schools
Chicago, Illinois
District details
Superintendent: Pedro Martinez (CEO)
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Chicago Public Schools is a school district in Illinois.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

• Superintendent
• School board
• Budget
• Teacher salaries
• Academic performance
• Students
• Staff
• Schools
• Contact information

Superintendent

This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

The appointed leader of Chicago Public Schools has the title of CEO instead of superintendent. Pedro Martinez was appointed to serve as CEO of Chicago Public Schools on September 15, 2021, and started serving in this role on September 29, 2021. His previous experience includes working as superintendent at the San Antonio Independent School District.

Past superintendents

• Jose Torres was the interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools from his appointment June 2021 until his successor took office on September 29, 2021. Torres' previous career experience includes working as a regional superintendent in the district and superintendent at School District U-46, the second-largest system in Illinois.
• Janice Jackson was the CEO of Chicago Public Schools from 2018 to 2021. Jackson's previous career experience included working as a principal, network chief, and chief education officer of the district.

• Forrest Claypool was the CEO of Chicago Public Schools from 2015 to 2017. Claypool's previous career experience included working as the president of the Chicago Transit Authority and chief of staff to former Chicago mayors Rahm Emanuel and Richard Daley.

• Jesse Ruiz was the interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools in 2015. Ruiz's previous career experience included working as the vice president of the Chicago Board of Education and chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education.

School board

Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) signed legislation in July 2021 that changed the board from being appointed by the mayor to being publicly elected. The board grew from seven to 21 members. Chicago voters selected 10 new members in the November 2024 general election, with the other 11 members appointed by the mayor. The board will become fully elected in November 2026.

Elected board members

Office	Name	Date assumed office
Chicago Public Schools school board District 1b	Jennifer Custer	January 15, 2025
Chicago Public Schools school board District 2a	Ebony DeBerry	January 15, 2025
Chicago Public Schools school board District 3b	Carlos Rivas Jr.	January 15, 2025
Chicago Public Schools school board District 4b	Ellen Rosenfeld	January 15, 2025
Chicago Public Schools school board District 5a	Aaron Brown	January 15, 2025
Chicago Public Schools school board District 6b	Jessica Biggs	January 15, 2025
Chicago Public Schools school board District 7b	Yesenia Lopez	January 15, 2025
Chicago Public Schools school board District 8a	Angel Gutierrez	January 15, 2025
Chicago Public Schools school board District 9b	Therese Boyle	January 15, 2025
Chicago Public Schools school board District 10a	Che Smith	January 15, 2025

Elections

See also: Chicago Public Schools, Illinois, elections

Members elected in 2024 will serve four-year terms, and members appointed in 2024 will serve two-years.

A general election for 10 seats on the board was scheduled for November 5, 2024.

Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.

Join the conversation about school board politics

Stay up to date on school board politics!

Subscribe for a weekly roundup of the sharpest commentary and research from across the political spectrum with Ballotpedia's Hall Pass newsletter.

Email *

First Name *

Last Name

Please complete the Captcha above

Public participation in board meetings

The Chicago Public Schools Board of Education maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:

School board meetings

The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.

School board meeting articles (click to collapse)

District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

• Revenue
• Expenditures

Revenue, 2021-2022

SOURCE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Federal:	$1,465,282,000	$4,442	17%
Local:	$4,451,354,000	$13,496	53%
State:	$2,519,508,000	$7,639	30%
Total:	$8,436,144,000	$25,577

Expenditures, 2021-2022

TYPE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Total Expenditures:	$8,443,510,000	$25,599
Total Current Expenditures:	$6,943,032,000	$21,049
Instructional Expenditures:	$4,534,378,000	$13,747	54%
Student and Staff Support:	$783,846,000	$2,376	9%
Administration:	$537,554,000	$1,629	6%
Operations, Food Service, Other:	$1,087,254,000	$3,296	13%
Total Capital Outlay:	$759,379,000	$2,302
Construction:	$620,377,000	$1,880
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other:	$87,654,000	$265
Interest on Debt:	$516,915,000	$1,567

Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year	Minimum	Maximum
2023-2024	$61,990	$113,029
2022-2023	$59,894	$109,207
2021-2022	$57,869	$110,542
2020-2021	$56,183	$107,322
2019-2020	$54,547	$104,196

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.

• Mathematics
• Reading/language arts
• Graduation rates

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	17	54	6	13	20-24	42	45
2018-2019	24	61	13	22	25	48	54
2017-2018	22	59	12	21	26	47	52
2016-2017	24	61	13	22	27	47	54
2015-2016	23	59	14	23	26	43	52
2014-2015	21	56	12	20	22	39	48
2013-2014	50	81	40	51	55	69	77
2012-2013	48	78	38	49	53	66	76
2011-2012	73	89	66	75	77	81	88
2010-2011	72	89	65	75	75	82	87

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	21	50	11	17	25-29	48	49
2018-2019	27	55	17	25	30	55	57
2017-2018	27	57	17	26	31	54	58
2016-2017	28	59	19	27	31	54	60
2015-2016	27	58	18	27	30	51	57
2014-2015	29	60	19	28	33	51	59
2013-2014	45	71	37	44	49	68	75
2012-2013	47	71	39	45	50	68	75
2011-2012	65	82	59	66	71	79	85
2010-2011	65	81	59	65	66	81	84

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2017-2018	77	89	74	78	80-84	75-79	85
2016-2017	82	94	79	83	75-79	85-89	89
2015-2016	74	88	69	77	70-74	75	83
2014-2015	77	91	71	80	70-74	80-84	87
2013-2014	81	92	77	83	85-89	80-84	88
2012-2013	70	82	66	71	75-79	75	78
2011-2012	69	90	62	73	70-74	81	78
2010-2011	74	94	71	75	75-79	82	84

Students

• Enrollment
• Demographics

Year	Enrollment	Year-to-year change (%)
2023-2024	322,809	0.4
2022-2023	321,666	-2.5
2021-2022	329,836	-3.5
2020-2021	341,382	-1.8
2019-2020	347,484	-3.5
2018-2019	359,476	-4.0
2017-2018	373,700	-1.2
2016-2017	378,199	-2.4
2015-2016	387,311	-1.4
2014-2015	392,558	-1.0
2013-2014	396,641	0.2
2012-2013	395,948	-1.8
2011-2012	403,004	-0.7
2010-2011	405,644	-0.4
2009-2010	407,157	-3.5
2008-2009	421,430	3.3
2007-2008	407,510	-1.5
2006-2007	413,694	-1.8
2005-2006	420,982	-1.4
2004-2005	426,812	-1.8
2003-2004	434,419	-0.4
2002-2003	436,048	-0.3
2001-2002	437,418	0.5
2000-2001	435,261	0.8
1999-2000	431,750	0.0

Racial Demographics, 2023-2024

RACE	Chicago Public Schools (%)	Illinois K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.3	0.3
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander	4.6	5.6
Black	35.0	16.4
Hispanic	47.0	28.1
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	0.1	0.1
Two or More Races	1.9	4.2
White	11.1	45.3

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

• Teachers
• Administrators
• Other staff

As of the 2023-2024 school year, Chicago Public Schools had 23,234.51 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 13.89.

Teachers, 2023-2024 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten:	2.00
Kindergarten:	93.00
Elementary:	16,100.08
Secondary:	7,039.43
Total:	23,234.51

Chicago Public Schools employed 433.00 district administrators and 1,679.60 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.

Administrators, 2023-2024 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators:	433.00
District Administrative Support:	8.00
School Administrators:	1,679.60
School Administrative Support:	4.00

Other staff, 2023-2024 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides:	9,019.02
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors:	432.35
Total Guidance Counselors:	908.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors:	560.50
Secondary Guidance Counselors:	347.50
Librarians/Media Specialists:	84.00
Library/Media Support:	0.00
Student Support Services:	1,627.93
Other Support Services:	302.00

Schools

Chicago Public Schools operates 643 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

List of schools

SCHOOL NAME	NUMBER OF STUDENTS	GRADES
Academy For Global Citizenship	478	KG-8
Acero Chtr - Bartolome De Las	223	KG-8
Acero Chtr-Brighton Park Elem Sch	475	KG-8
Acero Chtr - Carlos Fuentes Elem	391	KG-8
Acero Chtr - Esmera Santiago Cmps	223	KG-8
Acero Chtr Netrk - Major Garcia	625	9-12
Acero Chtr Network - Jovita Idar	530	KG-8
Acero Chtr Network - Pfc Torress	540	KG-8
Acero Chtr - Octavio Paz Elem Sch	125	KG-8
Acero Chtr - Officer Marquez Elem	517	KG-8
Acero Chtr Roberto Clemente Elem	468	KG-8
Acero Chtr - Rufino Tamayo Elem	268	KG-8
Acero Chtr - Sandra Cisneros Elem	345	KG-8
Acero Chtr Sch Netwrk- Victoria	570	9-12
Acero Chtr Sor Juana Ines De La	501	KG-12
Acero Chtr - Spc Zizumbo Elem	534	KG-8
Addams Elem School	533	PK-8
Air Force Acad High School	118	9-12
Albany Park Multicultural Elem	227	7-8
Alcott College Prep	378	9-12
Alcott Elem School	575	PK-8
Aldridge Elem School	250	PK-8
Amundsen High School	1,585	9-12
Ariel Elem Community Academy	352	PK-8
Armour Elem School	238	PK-8
Armstrong G Elem Intl Studies	1,261	PK-8
Art In Motion Charter School	544	7-12
Ashburn Community Elem School	327	PK-8
Ashe Elem School	365	PK-8
Asian Human Srvcs-Passage Chrtr	355	KG-8
Aspira Charter - Bus And Fin	482	9-12
Aspira Charter - Early College Pr	263	9-12
Aspira Charter - Haugan Campus	82	6-8
Audubon Elem School	610	PK-8
Austin College And Career Acad Hs	217	9-12
Avalon Park Elem School	194	PK-8
Avondale - Logandale Elem Sch	490	PK-8
Azuela Elem School	699	KG-8
Back Of The Yards Ib Hs	1,025	9-12
Barnard Elem Comp Math & Sci Ctr	245	PK-8
Barry Elem School	472	PK-6
Barton Elem School	390	PK-8
Bass Elem School	287	PK-8
Bateman Elem School	919	PK-8
Beard Elem School	285	PK-3
Beasley Elem Magnet Academic Ctr	1,017	PK-8
Beaubien Elem School	1,013	PK-8
Beethoven Elem School	327	PK-8
Beidler Elem School	253	PK-8
Belding Elem School	563	PK-8
Bell Elem School	848	KG-8
Belmont-Cragin Elem School	524	PK-8
Bennett Elem School	257	PK-8
Black Magnet Elem School	356	KG-8
Blaine Elem School	636	PK-8
Blair Early Childhood Center	174	PK-1
Bogan High School	677	9-12
Bond Elem School	259	PK-8
Bouchet Elem Math & Science Acad	649	PK-8
Bowen High School	219	9-12
Bradwell Comm Arts & Sci Elem Sch	419	PK-8
Brennemann Elem School	478	PK-8
Brentano Elem Math & Science Acad	727	PK-8
Bret Harte Elem School	353	PK-8
Bridge Elem School	1,112	PK-8
Bright Elem School	212	PK-8
Brighton Park Elem School	284	PK-8
Bronzeville Classical Elem Sch	423	KG-7
Bronzeville Scholastic Hs	109	9-12
Brooks College Prep Academy Hs	982	7-12
Brownell Elem School	127	PK-6
Brown R Elem Community Acad	290	PK-8
Brown W Elem School	268	PK-8
Brunson Math & Sci Specialty Elem	421	PK-8
Budlong Elem School	743	PK-8
Burbank Elem School	698	PK-8
Burke Elem School	265	PK-8
Burley Elem School	499	KG-8
Burnham Elem Inclusive Academy	415	PK-8
Burnside Elem Scholastic Academy	288	PK-8
Burr Elem School	454	KG-8
Burroughs Elem School	308	PK-8
Byrne Elem School	591	KG-8
Calmeca Acad Elem School	628	PK-8
Camelot Safe Academy School	0	6-12
Cameron Elem School	634	PK-8
Camras Elem School	719	PK-8
Canty Elem School	820	PK-8
Cardenas Elem School	766	PK-8
Carnegie Elem School	401	KG-8
Carroll Elem School	405	PK-8
Carson Elem School	747	PK-8
Carter Elem School	279	PK-8
Carver Military Academy Hs	408	9-12
Carver Primary School	473	PK-8
Casals Elem School	370	PK-8
Cassell Elem School	354	KG-8
Catalyst Charter-Circle Rock Es	500	KG-8
Catalyst Charter - Maria Es	1,102	KG-12
Cather Elem School	325	PK-8
Chalmers Elem Specialty School	224	PK-8
Chappell Elem School	564	PK-8
Chase Elem School	393	PK-8
Chavez Elem Multicultural Acad Ct	783	PK-8
Chicago Academy Elem School	555	PK-8
Chicago Academy High School	563	9-12
Chicago Collegiate Charter School	252	5-12
Chicago Excel Academy Hs	266	9-12
Chicago Hs For Agricult Sciences	832	9-12
Chicago Hs For The Arts	608	9-12
Chicago Math & Sci Elem Charter	620	6-12
Chicago Military Academy Hs	215	9-12
Chicago Technology Academy Hs	371	9-12
Chicago Vocational Career Acad Hs	660	9-12
Chicago World Language Academy	453	KG-8
Chopin Elem School	320	PK-8
Christopher Elem School	306	KG-8
Christopher House Chrt Es	450	PK-8
Cics - Avalon/South Shore	435	KG-8
Cics - Basil Campus	480	KG-8
Cics - Bond Campus	263	KG-6
Cics - Bucktown Campus	537	KG-8
Cics - Irving Park Campus	505	KG-8
Cics - Longwood Campus	1,200	3-12
Cics - Loomis Primary Campus	351	KG-2
Cics - Northtown Campus	843	9-12
Cics - Prairie Campus	416	KG-8
Cics - Ralph Ellison Campus	227	9-12
Cics - Washington Pk Campus	487	KG-8
Cics - West Belden Campus	521	KG-8
Cics - Wrightwood	622	KG-8
Claremont Academy Elem School	327	PK-8
Clark Acad Prep Magnet High Schl	411	9-12
Clark G R Elem School	144	PK-8
Clay Elem School	592	PK-8
Clemente Community Academy Hs	815	9-12
Cleveland Elem School	485	PK-8
Clinton Elem School	1,039	PK-8
Clissold Elem School	476	PK-8
Colemon J Elem Academy	179	PK-8
Coles Elem Language Academy	251	PK-8
Collins Academy High School	229	9-12
Columbia Explorers Elem Academy	725	PK-8
Columbus Elem School	273	PK-8
Cook Co Juvenile Det -York Alt Hs	0	9-12
Cook Co Juvenile-Jefferson Alt Hs	0	6-12
Cook Elem School	283	PK-8
Coonley Elem School	772	KG-8
Cooper Elem Dual Language Academy	416	PK-8
Corkery Elem School	412	PK-8
Corliss High School	320	9-12
Courtenay Elem Language Arts Ctr	303	PK-8
Crane Medical Prep Hs	275	9-12
Crown Elem Comm Acd Fine Arts Ctr	103	PK-8
Cuffe Math-Sci Tech Elem Academy	236	PK-8
Cullen Elem School	173	KG-8
Curie Metropolitan High School	3,136	9-12
Curtis Elem School	314	PK-8
Daisy Bates Acad Of Social Justic	212	PK-8
Daley Elem Academy	502	PK-8
Darwin Elem School	500	PK-8
Davis M Magnet Elem School	139	PK-8
Davis N Elem School	531	PK-8
Dawes Elem School	946	PK-8
Decatur Classical Elem School	329	KG-8
De Diego Elem Community Academy	518	PK-8
Deneen Elem School	466	PK-8
Depriest Elem School	474	PK-8
Dett Elem School	285	PK-8
Dever Elem School	747	PK-8
Devry Advantage Academy High Schl	132	11-12
Dewey Elem Academy Of Fine Arts	265	PK-8
Dirksen Elem School	1,213	PK-8
Disney Elem Magnet School	1,416	PK-8
Disney Ii Elem School	429	PK-6
Disney Ii Magnet Hs	755	7-12
Dixon Elem School	469	PK-8
Dore Elem School	739	PK-8
Douglass Academy High School	37	9-12
Drake Elem School	301	PK-8
Drummond Elem School	336	PK-8
Dubois Elem School	192	PK-8
Dulles Elem School	664	PK-8
Dunbar Vocational Career Acad Hs	397	9-12
Dunne Technology Acad Elem Sch	198	PK-8
Durkin Park Elem School	677	PK-8
Dvorak Technology Acad Elem Sch	281	PK-8
Earhart Elem Opt For Knowl School	200	KG-8
Earle Elem School	262	PK-8
Eberhart Elem School	1,016	PK-8
Ebinger Elem School	699	KG-8
Edgebrook Elem School	508	PK-8
Edison Elem Regional Gifted Cntr	265	KG-8
Edison Park Elem School	429	KG-8
Edwards Elem School	1,222	PK-8
Ellington Elem School	501	PK-8
Englewood Stem High School	764	9-12
Epic Academy High School	279	9-12
Ericson Elem Scholastic Academy	312	PK-8
Erie Elem Charter School	384	KG-8
Esmond Elem School	258	PK-8
Everett Elem School	98	PK-5
Evergreen Academy Elem School	200	6-8
Evers Elem School	207	PK-8
Excel Academy - Englewood Hs	0	9-12
Excel Academy - Southwest Hs	0	9-12
Excel Academy - Woodlawn Hs	0	9-12
Fairfield Elem Academy	467	PK-8
Falconer Elem School	847	PK-6
Faraday Elem School	163	PK-8
Farnsworth Elem School	507	PK-8
Farragut Career Academy Hs	569	9-12
Fenger Academy High School	262	9-12
Fernwood Elem School	255	PK-8
Field Elem School	156	5-8
Finkl Elem School	209	PK-8
Fiske Elem School	385	PK-8
Foreman High School	700	9-12
Fort Dearborn Elem School	304	PK-8
Foster Park Elem School	336	PK-8
Franklin Elem Fine Arts Center	359	KG-8
Frazier Perspectives Magnet Es	133	KG-8
Fuller Elem School	306	PK-8
Fulton Elem School	329	PK-8
Funston Elem School	432	PK-8
Gage Park High School	420	9-12
Gale Elem Community Academy	299	PK-8
Galileo Elem Math & Sci Schol Acd	532	KG-8
Gallistel Elem Language Academy	609	PK-8
Garcia Lorca Elem School	615	PK-8
Garvey M Elem School	247	PK-8
Garvy J Elem School	744	KG-8
Gary Elem School	718	3-8
Gillespie Elem School	342	PK-8
Goethe Elem School	731	PK-8
Goode Stem Academy Hs	979	9-12
Goudy Technology Academy	549	PK-8
Graham A Elem School	300	PK-8
Graham R Training Center	0	9-12
Gray Elem School	992	PK-8
Great Lakes Academy Charter Es	535	KG-8
Greeley Elem School	434	PK-8
Greene N Elem School	316	PK-5
Green W Elem School	306	PK-8
Gregory Math & Sci Elem Academy	230	PK-8
Gresham Elem School	328	PK-8
Grimes Elem School	374	PK-8
Grissom Elem School	291	PK-8
Gunsaulus Elem Scholastic Academy	659	PK-8
Haines Elem School	482	PK-8
Hale Elem School	792	PK-8
Haley Elem Academy	447	PK-8
Hamilton Elem School	485	PK-8
Hamline Elem School	573	PK-8
Hammond Elem School	227	PK-8
Hampton Elem Fine & Perf Arts Sch	434	PK-8
Hancock College Preparatory Hs	1,032	9-12
Hanson Park Elem School	1,150	PK-8
Harlan Community Academy Hs	255	9-12
Harriet Tubman Elem School	282	PK-8
Harvard Elem School	364	PK-8
Haugan Elem School	1,006	PK-8
Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy	616	KG-8
Hay Elem Community Academy	262	PK-8
Hayt Elem School	861	PK-8
Healy Elem School	1,209	KG-8
Hearst Elem School	301	PK-8
Hedges Elem School	482	PK-8
Hefferan Elem School	181	PK-8
Henderson Elem School	234	PK-8
Hendricks Elem Community Academy	181	PK-8
Henry Elem School	466	PK-8
Hernandez Middle School	753	6-8
Herzl Elem School	434	PK-8
Hibbard Elem School	915	PK-6
Higgins Elem Community Academy	271	PK-8
Hirsch Metropolitan High School	173	9-12
Hitch Elem School	505	PK-8
Holden Elem School	429	PK-8
Holmes Elem School	128	PK-8
Horizon Sci Acad - Southwest Chtr	746	KG-12
Howe Elem School	354	PK-8
Hoyne Elem School	249	PK-8
Hubbard High School	1,792	9-12
Hughes C Elem School	154	PK-8
Hughes L Elem School	419	PK-8
Hurley Elem School	711	PK-8
Hyde Park Academy High School	875	9-12
Ihsca Charter High School	551	9-12
Ijla Charter High School	67	9-12
Infinity Math Science & Tech Hs	446	9-12
Inter-American Elem Magnet School	637	PK-8
Intrinsic Charter High School	947	7-12
Irving Elem School	272	PK-8
Jackson M Elem School	315	PK-8
Jahn Elem School	314	PK-8
James R Doolittle Academy	257	PK-8
Jamieson Elem School	824	PK-8
Jensen Elem Scholastic Academy	249	PK-8
Johnson Elem School	212	PK-8
Jones College Prep High School	1,973	9-12
Joplin Elem School	277	PK-8
Jordan Elem Community School	510	PK-8
Juarez Community Academy Hs	1,587	9-12
Julian High School	469	9-12
Jungman Elem School	290	PK-8
Kanoon Elem Magnet School	373	PK-8
Keller Elem Gifted Magnet School	221	1-8
Kellman Corporate Community Elem	188	PK-8
Kellogg Elem School	289	KG-8
Kelvyn Park High School	525	7-12
Kennedy High School	1,695	9-12
Kenwood Academy High School	2,337	7-12
Kershaw Elem School	207	PK-8
Kilmer Elem School	786	PK-8
King Academy Of Social Justice	253	PK-8
King College Prep High School	721	9-12
Kinzie Elem School	676	PK-8
Kipling Elem School	226	PK-8
Kipp Academy Chicago Campus	660	KG-8
Kipp Chicago Chrtrs - Ascend Acad	936	KG-8
Kipp Chicago Chrtrs Bloom Campus	914	KG-8
Kipp One Academy	1,025	KG-8
Kozminski Elem Community Academy	257	PK-8
Lake View High School	1,461	9-12
Lane Technical High School	4,525	7-12
Langford A Elem School	181	PK-8
Lara Elem Academy	337	PK-8
Lasalle Elem Language Academy	483	KG-8
Lasalle Ii Lang Acad Elem Sch	582	PK-8
Lavizzo Elem School	334	PK-8
Lawndale Elem Community Academy	188	PK-8
Learn Charter Excel Campus	389	KG-6
Learn Chtr - 7th Campus	149	KG-5
Learn Chtr - Butler	458	KG-8
Learn Chtr-Campbell Campus	355	KG-6
Learn Chtr - Hunter Perkins Camp	467	KG-8
Learn Chtr - Middle School	185	6-8
Learn Chtr - South Chicago Campus	406	KG-8
Lee Elem School	578	KG-8
Legacy Elem Charter School	455	KG-8
Legal Prep Academy Charter Hs	213	9-12
Leland Elem School	298	PK-8
Lenart Elem Regional Gifted Ctr	296	PK-8
Lewis Elem School	423	PK-8
Libby Elem School	253	PK-8
Lincoln Elem School	851	KG-8
Lincoln Park High School	2,125	9-12
Lindblom Math & Science Acad Hs	1,360	7-12
Linne Elem School	681	PK-8
Little Black Pearl Arts Acad Hs	0	9-12
Little Village Elem School	566	PK-8
Lloyd Elem School	822	PK-5
Locke A Elem Charter Academy	368	KG-8
Locke J Elem School	1,131	PK-8
Lovett Elem School	342	PK-8
Lowell Elem School	308	PK-8
Lozano Elem Bilingual & Intl Ctr	246	PK-8
Lyon Elem School	980	PK-8
Madero Middle School	250	6-8
Madison Elem School	212	PK-8
Manierre Elem School	288	PK-8
Manley Career Academy High School	151	9-12
Mann Elem School	276	PK-8
Marine Leadership Academy - Ames	622	7-12
Marquette Elem School	1,034	PK-8
Marshall Metropolitan High School	229	9-12
Marsh Elem School	607	PK-8
Mason Elem School	242	PK-8
Mather High School	1,777	9-12
Mayer Elem School	698	PK-8
Mays Elem Academy	244	PK-8
Mcauliffe Elem School	565	PK-8
Mccormick Elem School	435	PK-5
Mccutcheon Elem School	346	PK-8
Mcdade Elem Classical School	217	KG-8
Mcdowell Elem School	115	PK-5
Mckay Elem School	625	PK-8
Mcnair Elem School	336	PK-8
Mcpherson Elem School	735	PK-8
Melody Elem School	318	PK-8
Metcalfe Elem Community Academy	308	PK-8
Minnie Minoso Academy	315	PK-8
Mireles Elem Academy	452	PK-8
Mitchell Elem School	388	PK-8
Mollison Elem School	237	PK-8
Monarcas Academy	805	PK-5
Monroe Elem School	635	PK-8
Montessori Of Englewood Chtr Es	334	PK-8
Moos Elem School	456	PK-8
Morgan Park High School	1,245	7-12
Morrill Elem Math & Sci School	504	PK-8
Morton Elem Career Academy	214	PK-8
Mosaic School Of Fine Arts	720	PK-8
Mount Greenwood Elem School	1,157	PK-8
Mount Vernon Elem School	246	PK-8
Moving Everest Charter School	768	KG-8
Mozart Elem School	482	PK-8
Multicultural Arts High School	251	9-12
Murphy Elem School	496	PK-8
Murray Elem Language Academy	458	KG-8
Namaste Elem Charter School	359	KG-8
Nash Elem School	269	PK-8
National Teachers Elem Academy	766	PK-8
Neil Elem School	249	PK-8
Nettelhorst Elem School	650	PK-8
Newberry Elem Math & Science Acad	327	PK-8
New Field Elem School	576	PK-4
Nicholson Tech Acad Elem Sch	445	PK-8
Nightingale Elem School	959	PK-8
Ninos Heroes Elem Academic Ctr	278	PK-8
Nixon Elem School	644	PK-6
Nobel Elem School	603	PK-8
Noble St Chtr-Baker Campus	246	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Butler - Crimson	635	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Chicago Bulls Prep	1,156	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Comer College Prep	1,024	6-12
Noble St Chtr-Drw Trading Col	372	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Golder College Prep	645	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Hansberry Prep Slvr	522	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Itw Speer Acad	1,109	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Johnson Colg Prep	477	9-12
Noble St Chtr - Mansueto	1,071	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Muchin College Prep	944	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Noble Campus	679	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Pritzker Col Prep	991	9-12
Noble St Chtr Rauner College Prep	607	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Rowe-Clark Ms Acad	348	9-12
Noble St Chtr-The Noble Academy	537	9-12
Noble St Chtr-Uic College Prep	940	9-12
North-Grand High School	1,083	9-12
North Lawndale Prep Chtr - Christ	306	9-12
North Lawndale Prep Chtr-Collins	377	9-12
North River Elem School	284	PK-8
Northside College Preparatory Hs	1,032	9-12
Northside Learning Center	0	9-12
Northwest Middle School	518	6-8
Norwood Park Elem School	325	PK-8
Ogden Elem School	907	PK-8
Ogden Int High School	512	9-12
Oglesby Elem School	270	PK-8
Okeeffe Elem School	513	PK-8
Ombudsman Chicago Northwest	0	9-12
Ombudsman Chicago - Roseland Hs	0	9-12
Ombudsman Chicago South	0	9-12
Ombudsman Chicago West	0	9-12
Onahan Elem School	647	PK-8
Oriole Park Elem School	589	PK-8
Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences	268	PK-8
Orr Academy High School	303	9-12
Ortiz De Dominguez Elem School	400	PK-2
Otis Elem School	365	PK-8
Otoole Elem School	286	PK-8
Owen Elem Scholastic Academy	272	PK-8
Owens Community Academy Es	338	PK-8
Palmer Elem School	756	PK-8
Parker Elem Community Academy	358	PK-8
Park Manor Elem School	257	PK-8
Parkside Elem Community Academy	247	PK-8
Pasteur Elem School	619	PK-4
Pathways In Education Ashburn	0	9-12
Pathways In Education Avondale	0	9-12
Pathways In Education Brighton Pa	0	9-12
Pathways In Education - Humboldt	0	9-12
Payton College Preparatory Hs	1,265	9-12
Peace And Education Coalition Hs	0	10-12
Peck Elem School	758	PK-4
Peirce Elem Intl Studies School	1,103	PK-8
Penn Elem School	213	PK-8
Perez Elem School	302	PK-8
Pershing Elem Humanities Magnet	396	PK-8
Perspectives Chtr - Hs Of Tech	428	9-12
Perspectives Chtr - Iit Campus	405	6-12
Perspectives Chtr - Joslin Campus	334	6-12
Perspectives Chtr - Leadership Ac	856	6-12
Peterson Elem School	899	PK-8
Phillips Academy High School	494	9-12
Phoenix Military Academy Hs	403	9-12
Piccolo Elem Specialty School	635	PK-8
Pickard Elem School	293	PK-8
Pilsen Elem Community Academy	223	PK-8
Pirie Elem Fine Arts & Academic C	185	PK-6
Plamondon Elem School	85	KG-8
Plato Learning Acad Elem School	178	KG-8
Poe Elem Classical School	227	KG-8
Polaris Elem Charter Academy	336	KG-8
Portage Park Elem School	894	PK-8
Powell Elem Paideia Comm Academy	550	PK-8
Prescott Elem School	412	KG-8
Prieto Math-Science Elem Sch	751	PK-8
Pritzker Elem School	655	PK-8
Prosser Career Academy Hs	1,200	9-12
Providence-Englewood Elem Charter	441	KG-8
Prussing Elem School	666	KG-8
Pulaski Intl Sch Of Chicago	844	PK-8
Pullman Elem School	313	PK-8
Raby High School	164	9-12
Randolph Elem School	298	PK-8
Ravenswood Elem School	502	PK-8
Ray Elem School	596	PK-8
Reavis Elem Math & Sci Spec Schl	273	PK-8
Reilly Elem School	528	PK-8
Reinberg Elem School	772	PK-8
Revere Elem School	197	PK-8
Richards Career Academy Hs	315	9-12
Richardson Middle School	842	5-8
Rickover Naval Academy High Schl	508	9-12
Robinson Elem School	113	PK-3
Rogers Elem School	720	PK-8
Roosevelt High School	1,177	9-12
Rowe Elementary	704	KG-8
Rudolph Elem Learning Center	29	PK-8
Ruggles Elem School	312	PK-8
Ruiz Elem School	437	PK-8
Ryder Elem Math & Sci Spec School	346	PK-8
Sabin Elem Magnet School	367	PK-8
Sadlowski Elementary School	659	PK-8
Salazar Elem Bilingual Center	366	PK-8
Sandoval Elem School	723	PK-5
Saucedo Elem Scholastic Academy	850	PK-8
Sauganash Elem School	660	PK-8
Sawyer Elem School	933	PK-8
Sayre Elem Language Academy	400	PK-8
Scammon Elem School	631	PK-8
Schmid Elem School	181	PK-8
School Of Social Justice Hs	312	9-12
Schubert Elem School	557	PK-5
Schurz High School	1,344	9-12
Senn High School	1,516	9-12
Seward Elem Communication Arts Ac	416	PK-8
Sheridan Elem Math & Science Acad	529	KG-8
Sherman Elem School	210	PK-8
Sherwood Elem School	208	PK-8
Shields Elem School	487	PK-4
Shields Middle School	376	5-8
Shoesmith Elem School	335	KG-6
Shoop Math-Sci Tech Elem Academy	420	PK-8
Simeon Career Academy High School	1,138	9-12
Simpson Acad Hs For Young Women	0	6-12
Skinner Elem School	1,049	PK-8
Skinner North Elem Sch	512	KG-8
Smith W Elem School	353	PK-8
Smyser Elem School	765	PK-8
Smyth J Elem School	366	PK-8
Solomon Elem School	338	PK-8
Solorio Academy High School	1,264	9-12
Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz	488	PK-7
South Loop Elem School	840	PK-8
South Shore Fine Arts Elem Sch	239	PK-8
South Shore Intl Col Prep Hs	593	9-12
Southside Occupational Acad Hs	0	11-12
Spencer Technology Acad Elem Sch	389	PK-8
Spry Community Links High School	60	9-12
Spry Elem Community School	304	PK-8
Stagg Elem School	389	PK-8
Steinmetz College Prep Hs	1,333	9-12
Stem Magnet Academy Elem	401	KG-8
Stevenson Elem School	1,169	PK-8
Stock Early Childhood Center	212	PK-PK
Stone Elem Scholastic Academy	550	KG-8
Stowe Elem School	509	PK-8
Suder Montessori Elem Magnet Schl	459	PK-8
Sullivan Elem School	410	PK-8
Sullivan High School	766	9-12
Sumner Elem Math & Sci Comm Acad	203	PK-8
Sutherland Elem School	631	KG-8
Swift Elem Specialty School	595	PK-8
Taft High School	4,416	7-12
Talcott Elem School	465	PK-8
Talman Elem School	346	PK-8
Tanner Elem School	257	PK-8
Tarkington Elem School	861	PK-8
Taylor Elem School	325	PK-8
Telpochcalli Elem School	223	PK-8
Thomas Early Childhood Center	124	PK-PK
Thomas Kelly College Preparatory	1,862	9-12
Thorp J N Elem School	319	PK-8
Thorp O A Elem Scholastic Acad	823	KG-8
Tilden Career Communty Academy Hs	264	9-12
Till Elem Math & Science Academy	323	PK-8
Tilton Elem School	243	PK-8
Turner-Drew Elem Language Academy	193	KG-8
Twain Elem School	876	PK-8
Univ Of Chicago Chtr-Donoghue	499	PK-5
Univ Of Chicago Chtr-Nth Kenwood	302	PK-5
Univ Of Chicago Chtr-Woodlawn	610	6-12
Uplift Community High School	162	9-12
Urban Prep Chtr Acad Englewood Hs	99	9-12
Urban Prep Chtr Bronzeville Hs	167	9-12
Vanderpoel Elem Magnet School	237	KG-8
Vaughn Occupational High School	0	9-12
Vick Early Childhood & Family Ctr	408	PK-PK
Volta Elem School	742	PK-8
Von Steuben Metro Science Hs	1,695	9-12
Wacker Elem School	220	PK-8
Wadsworth Elem School	475	PK-8
Walsh Elem School	242	PK-8
Walter Henri Dyett Hs For Arts	535	9-12
Ward J Elem School	495	PK-8
Ward L Elem School	259	PK-8
Warren Elem School	278	PK-8
Washington G Elem School	617	PK-8
Washington G High School	1,553	9-12
Washington H Elem School	233	PK-8
Waters Elem School	659	PK-8
Webster Elem School	202	PK-8
Wells Community Academy Hs	380	9-12
Wells Preparatory Elem Academy	314	PK-8
Wentworth Elem School	388	PK-8
Westcott Elem School	409	PK-8
Westinghouse High School	1,237	9-12
West Park Elem Academy	423	PK-8
West Ridge Elem School	627	PK-8
Whistler Elem School	257	PK-8
White Elem Career Academy	122	PK-8
Whitney Elem School	614	PK-8
Whittier Elem School	175	PK-8
Wildwood Elem School	494	PK-8
Williams Medical Prep High Sch	80	9-12
Woodlawn Elem Community School	167	PK-6
Woodson South Elem School	298	PK-8
World Language High School	326	9-12
Yates Elem School	307	PK-8
Yccs-Albizu Campos Puerto Rican	170	9-12
Yccs-Aspira Pantoja Alt Hs	198	9-12
Yccs-Association House	102	9-12
Yccs-Cca Academy Hs	78	9-12
Yccs Chtr - Chatham	101	9-12
Yccs-Community Youth Dev Inst Hs	85	9-12
Yccs-Innovations Of Arts Integr	502	9-12
Yccs-Latino Youth Alternative Hs	162	9-12
Yccs-Mckinley-Lakeside Leadership	96	9-12
Yccs-Olive Harvey Mid College Hs	136	9-12
Yccs-Progressive Leadership Acad	136	9-12
Yccs-Scholastic Achievement Hs	114	9-12
Yccs-Sullivan House Alt Hs	340	9-12
Yccs-Truman Middle College Hs	191	9-12
Yccs West	69	9-12
Yccs-West Town Academy Alt Hs	97	9-12
Yccs-Youth Connection Leadership	132	9-12
Young Elem School	401	PK-8
Young Magnet High School	2,221	7-12
Zapata Elem Academy	520	PK-8

Noteworthy events

Chicago school board member resignations (2024)

On October 4, 2024, Chicago Board of Education members Elizabeth Todd-Breland, Mariela Estrada, Mary Fahey Hughes, Rudy Lozano, Michelle Morales, Jianan Shi, and Tanya Woods announced their resignations. Their resignations come after a budget meeting in July 2024, where the board rejected Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposal to take out a loan to cover teacher pensions.

On October 7, 2024, Johnson announced six interim appointments to the board: Olga Bautista, Michilla Blaise, Mary Gardner, Mitchell Ikenna Johnson, Deborah Pope, and Frank Niles Thomas.

On October 31, 2024, newly appointed board president Mitchell Ikenna Johnson resigned following criticism of posts made on Ikenna Johnson's Facebook account in the previous year.

Teacher strike (2019)

On October 17, 2019, around 25,000 public school teachers in Chicago went on strike. Around 7,500 school support staff, represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, joined the strike. A tentative deal between the Chicago Public Schools district (CPS) and SIEU Local 73 was reached October 28, and members approved the contract on October 30. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and CPS reached a tentative deal on October 31. On November 1, classes resumed. CTU members voted to approve the new contract on November 14-15.

The deal between CTU and CPS included 16% pay raises over five years, a full-time nurse and social worker in every school by 2023, funding to reduce class sizes once they hit specified caps, and full-time liaisons in high-need schools to coordinate services for students in temporary living situations.

CTU had called for a 15% teacher pay raise over three years, increased staffing at schools to national recommended ratios, caps to reduce class sizes, and housing measures including subsidies for staff, among other commitments in their contract.

The last time public school teachers in Chicago went on strike was 2012, which was the first teacher strike in the city in 25 years. In 2012, the conflict included charter school policy and whether to link teacher evaluations to standardized test scores.

2017: District enrollment declines by 10,000 students

Student Enrollment
School year	20th-day enrollment	Difference
2013-2014	400,545	—
2014-2015	396,683	-3,862
2015-2016	392,285	-4,398
2016-2017	381,349	-10,936
2017-2018	371,382	-9,967

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) saw a decline of roughly 10,000 students enrolled in the district from the 2016-2017 school year to the 2017-2018 school year. The enrollment data, released on October 20, 2017, showed the district lost more students than expected—CPS had projected a decline of approximately 8,000 students. The enrollment data indicated the student population was 371,382 students across the district, including students attending charter schools within the district.

The 10,000 student decline was numerically similar to the decline in the student population from the 2015-2016 school year to the 2016-2017 school year, which saw an enrollment drop of roughly 11,000 students. This means that in two years the district lost approximately 21,000 students. In 15 years, from 2002 to 2017, CPS student enrollment declined by approximately 67,000 students.

The district CEO Forrest Claypool stated the declining enrollment was due to lower birth rates, a decrease in immigration, and the departure of residents from Chicago's South and West sides.

The Vice President of the Chicago Teacher's Union, Jesse Sharkey, said,

“	Student enrollment is down because [Chicago Mayor Rahm] Emanuel's policy of disinvestment, destabilization and demolition in our most underserved black and brown communities is designed to do just that: drive out families that he simply doesn’t care about and doesn’t want in this city.	”
—Jesse Sharkey (2017)

As of October 24, 2017, Mayor Emanuel had not responded to Sharkey's comment.

Claypool stated in September 2017 that CPS would not lower school budgets based on the 20th-day enrollment numbers, which could have amounted to an estimated $35 million in funds cut from schools with fewer students than projected. The school district stated it would provide additional funds to schools that enrolled more students than projected, amounting to roughly $20 million more in funding for those schools, according to the Chicago Tribune.

2017: Funding formula unlocks state education aid

A bill defining a funding formula for state education aid passed the Illinois House of Representatives on August 28, 2017, and the Illinois State Senate on August 29, 2017. Governor Bruce Rauner (R) signed the agreement into law on August 31, 2017. Until the funding formula was approved, state education aid could not be distributed. As of August 31, 2017, the state had already missed two August payments to school districts, leading to concerns that schools would close or cut programs due to lack of funding.

The bill was negotiated by Illinois General Assembly leaders Speaker of the House Michael Madigan (D), Senate President John Cullerton (D), House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R), and Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady (R). The funding formula was needed to unlock $6.76 billion of the $8.2 billion that was earmarked for education in the 2018 fiscal year budget. Madigan called the agreement a compromise.

When first presented to the Illinois House of Representatives on August 28, 2017, the compromise agreement had 46 of the 71 votes needed to pass the bill. After Senate Bill 1 (SB1)—the original bill that defined a funding formula—did not receive enough votes to override Governor Rauner's amendatory veto, the state House voted on the compromise agreement a second time and passed it with 73-34 votes. The Illinois State Senate voted 38-13 to pass the compromise agreement on August 29, 2017.

The compromise agreement provided an increase in state funding to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) of roughly $450 million compared to the funding received in the 2016-2017 school year, $150 million more than the district would have received had SB1 passed. Under the agreement, CPS received approximately $221 million from the state during the 2017-2018 school year to pay for teacher pensions, an increase from the $12.2 million received in the 2016-2017 school year. The agreement allowed the CPS board of education to vote to raise property taxes by $120 million to $163 million to pay for the Chicago Teacher's Pension Fund. The Cook County clerk estimated the board of education could increase property taxes by $148 million.

The agreement also created a five-year pilot program to provide funding to students in Illinois who wished to go to private school or public schools outside their district. The program instituted a tax credit for businesses and individuals who donated to the program, with a ceiling of $75 million in total tax credits allowed.

Those in favor of the agreement pointed to the funding formula's goal to provide poor districts with more funding and the bipartisan support of the agreement.

“	The Senate’s approval of SB 1947 is another win for children and communities throughout the Land of Lincoln. For far too long, Illinois has ranked dead last in the country for funding its highest poverty school districts. Now we are poised to reform that inequitable and insufficient funding formula. I want to thank Speaker Madigan, Senate President Cullerton, Leader Durkin, Leader Brady, Leader Currie, Rep. Davis, Sen. Manar and legislators from both political parties who chose students instead of the status quo. On behalf of hundreds of thousands of school children and their parents, we are hopeful that Governor Rauner will act quickly to sign this legislation so schools receive the resources they deserve.	”
—Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Those against the agreement said the pilot program outlined in the agreement was bad for public schools.

“	The CTU is also condemning a legislative deal that Emanuel has embraced—and the Board of Education has done nothing to oppose—which opens the door to school vouchers, a move that is expected to put roughly $75 million in public dollars into the coffers of private schools and provide hefty tax breaks for the wealthy. The union argues that the voucher “compromise” in SB1—modeled on the extremist privatization policies of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos—is tantamount to planting a ticking time bomb on a bus and driving through school districts throughout the state, creating even greater debt and fiscal distress.	”
—Statement from the Chicago Teachers Union

2017: Chicago Public Schools funding at center of hold on state aid

Approximately $8.2 billion was allocated to Illinois' school districts in the Illinois state budget for the 2018 fiscal year, with $6.76 billion of the allotted funds earmarked to be dispersed through an undefined funding formula. While the budget was originally vetoed by Governor Bruce Rauner (R) on July 4, 2017, the Illinois General Assembly passed the budget on July 6, 2017.

Illinois Senator Andy Manar (D) sponsored the funding formula bill, SB1.

Because the budget did not define the funding formula, the $6.76 billion of state aid earmarked for public education could not be distributed in the 2017-2018 school year. Senate Bill 1 (SB1) outlined such a formula, which included 27 metrics meant to calculate the percentage of state funds each district would need to receive to provide each student with an adequate education. The bill also guaranteed that districts would receive the same amount of state aid in the 2017-2018 school year that they received in the 2016-2017 school year. It split the districts into four tiers to signify their financial need, with Tier 1 schools defined as requiring the highest percentage of additional funds. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) was placed in the Tier 1 category.

Although SB1 passed the majority Democratic General Assembly on May 31, 2017, before the legislature passed the state budget, Governor Rauner promised to veto the bill as soon as it crossed his desk. He explained, “We were going down that road but then the majority in the House kind of hijacked the process, added a big addendum, a big amendment onto [Senator Andy] Manar’s bill with massive more financing for Chicago Public Schools. That’s not fair for the statewide taxpayers."

In answer, the legislature filed a procedural hold on the bill, extending the amount of time they had to bring the bill to the governor. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) asked that Rauner support the bill. He said, "They’ve worked through the issues so everybody moves forward and most importantly, the school districts that have a concentration of poor kids get the assistance they need financially."

Despite the uncertainty, CPS provided school principals with tentative budgets on July 20, 2017, as the board needed to approve each school's 2017-2018 school year budget by September 1, 2017.

On August 1, 2017, Governor Rauner issued an amendatory veto of SB1, which allows the governor to suggest amendments for the bill that the General Assembly votes on. His veto recommended the removal of most of a $250 million annual block grant for Chicago Public Schools and made changes to the funding formula. Both versions of SB1 would have partially tied state funding to assessed property values in school districts, but Rauner’s version included the assessed property value in areas with tax-increment financing (TIF) districts and property tax caps. According to the Chicago Tribune, this addition made those areas appear to pay more in property tax revenue to the district than they actually do. Districts in those areas would receive less in state funding, but local property tax revenues would not offset the loss of state funding. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, Chicago Public Schools would receive $463 million less per year under Rauner’s proposal. This meant that as of August 1, 2017, school districts around the state did not know what their complete budget would be for the 2017-2018 school year.

On August 13, 2017, the Illinois State Senate voted to override Governor Rauner's amendatory veto by a 38-19 vote. On August 29, 2017, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 63-45 to override the amendatory veto, falling short of the 71 votes it needed. The House of Representatives then passed a different funding formula.

2017-2018: CPS budget released before state budget was approved

On July 20, 2017, district officials sent each Chicago Public Schools (CPS) school principal an expected budget for the 2017-2018 school year. Using these expected budgets, principals had to complete individual school spending plans by July 27, 2017. The CPS Board of Education then had until September 1, 2017, to approve the district's operating budget, including each school's budget plan.

These budgets were released to district principals prior to the finalization of Senate Bill 1 (SB1), a bill that included a formula defining the amount of aid the state would distribute to each Illinois public school district for the 2017-2018 school year. Illinois district budgets had not been finalized as of July 20, 2017. The CPS budgets were based on the assumption that the legislature and the governor would pass SB1 as it was, granting the district an increase of $300 million.

“We’re going to make sure for this school year, that our schools open and remain open,” CPS CEO Forrest Claypool said, explaining why the district released CPS school budgets before receiving a finalized district budget. “We will do whatever is necessary to make that happen despite the very difficult fiscal position we’ve been put in because of the dramatically unequal state funding system.”

The introduction of school budgets before the district received its finalized budget concerned Chicago Teacher's Union (CTU) President Karen Lewis. "Enrollment declines exacerbated by Springfield uncertainty will put us right back where we were last year, facing mid-year cuts and the threat of furlough-based or shortened school years," she said. During the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years, CPS required schools to go through mid-year budget cuts. In both cases, CPS faced budget gaps because the district expected state aid that did not come.

In total, CPS planned to distribute roughly $2.3 billion to area schools. The budgets were based on an estimated 2 percent decrease in the district's student population, or roughly 8,000 pupils. The new budgets saw an increase in per-pupil spending of approximately $200 per student. Students in kindergarten through third grade were allotted $4,590, students in fourth through eighth grade were allotted $4,290, and high school students were allotted $5,320. The district also planned to increase salaries and benefits by roughly $99 million, the majority of which would go to members of the CTU.

Governor Bruce Rauner (R) issued an amendatory veto on SB1 on August 1, 2017.

2017: District borrows to make teacher pension payment

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) borrowed $275 million in June 2017 from J.P. Morgan to help make its payment to the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund (CTPF), which was due on June 30, 2017. The amount of money was the final part the district needed to make the $721 million payment to the CTPF.

The rate of the loan—6.39%—drew criticism from local residents because it was about 4.5 percentage points more than a regular issuer would pay, according to Matt Fabian, a partner at Municipal Market Analytics. The rate amounted to roughly $70,000 a day totaling $7 million in interest, according to the Chicago Tribune. The interest rate was adjusted from month to month, with the debt maturing on March 30, 2018. Gov. Rauner called the loan "another short term easy fix" in a statement emailed by his spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis:

“

We are saddened that the Chicago Public School district is trading its future financial health for another short term easy fix. It has no one to blame high interest rates on other than the decades of mismanagement that created this crisis. ​The Governor is hopeful that the General Assembly will spend the next week focused on passing a truly balanced budget that will help school children across our state, including those in CPS.

”

See also: 2015 teacher pension payment

2017: Policy passes requiring post-graduation plans to graduate

In May 2017, the CPS Board of Education approved a policy requiring graduating high school seniors to provide the district with post-graduation plans prior to obtaining a diploma. The policy, spearheaded by Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D), took effect in 2020 and stipulated that students provide the district with proof they have secured a job, been accepted to a college or university, obtained a trade apprenticeship, or enlisted with the military before they are issued their diploma.

According to The Washington Post, CPS is the first large-city school district to adopt this type of post-graduation requirement. Proponents of the policy say it is a way to help level the playing field for financially disadvantaged students by requiring the heightened involvement of district officials and school counselors in each student’s career path. Opponents have argued the requirement cannot be met in the district with its current workforce, citing the layoffs of 1,000 teachers and staff members in 2016. Janice Jackson, the chief education officer for CPS, said it is unlikely that district schools will withhold diplomas from students who meet all requirements except those outlined in the new policy.

2017: Chicago Board of Education lawsuit against state is dismissed

The Chicago Board of Education filed a lawsuit against Governor Bruce Rauner (R) and the Illinois State Board of Education in February 2017. The lawsuit alleged that the state engaged in “separate and unequal systems of funding for public education in Illinois” by handling the Chicago school district’s funding separately from other public school districts in the state. The district’s chief education officer, Janice Jackson, stated in February, “This really is our last stand. ... We have hoped for a legislative solution, and that has not happened. Therefore, we're left with this as an option."

State officials responded to the lawsuit by highlighting a recent report of recommendations from a bipartisan state commission on school funding. One official said, “The governor remains focused on moving forward these recommendations and hopes that CPS will be a partner in that endeavor.” Chicago Public Schools served 392,558 students during the 2014-2015 school year—approximately 19 percent of all public school students in the state.

The lawsuit was dismissed on April 28, 2017. Illinois Cook Judicial Circuit Court Judge Franklin U. Valderrama concluded that CPS did not show that the state violated the Illinois Civil Rights Act by participating in discriminatory practices. Although he dismissed the lawsuit, Valderrama did not say the case was without cause. "To say that the State's current scheme of funding public education is broken is to state the obvious. Plaintiffs' Complaint, however, as constituted is not the vehicle to redress this inequity," he said. Valderrama gave the Board of Education until May 26, 2017, to amend the lawsuit.

2017: Federal judge turns down attempt to elect Chicago school board

An effort by former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D) and a group of Chicago residents to change the selection method of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education was rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Elaine Bucklo on February 13, 2017. The plaintiffs were attempting to change the system allowing the city’s mayor to appoint members of the school board. The lawsuit, filed in October 2016, requested the abolishment of this system in favor of an elected school board. The judge stated in response to the lawsuit, “Plaintiffs have no fundamental right to vote in school board elections as a matter of law, and the fact that residents of other Illinois jurisdictions have the privilege of voting in such elections in their districts does not confer such a right upon residents of Chicago.”

Quinn served as governor from 2009 to 2015 following the impeachment of Governor Rod Blagojevich (D). He lost his second re-election bid to challenger Bruce Rauner (R) in 2014.

2017: Budget gap leads to letters home

On February 7, 2017, the parents of students attending Chicago Public Schools (CPS) received two letters about the district’s continued financial troubles, which highlighted ongoing friction between state and local lawmakers. Roughly 381,000 CPS students were sent home with a letter penned by district CEO Forrest Claypool, which coincided with the district’s announcement of a $46 million spending freeze.

In the letter, Claypool stated that the freeze was the result of a bill vetoed by Governor Bruce Rauner (R) in December 2016. The bill earmarked more than $200 million to assist the district, but Rauner vetoed the bill after saying that state Democrats failed to uphold a deal to negotiate an overhaul of the state pension system. Claypool said the veto also made a four-day furlough and an additional $23 million in budget cuts necessary for the district’s continued operation.

Beth Purvis, the state education secretary, released a letter alleging that CPS had created an atmosphere of crisis by announcing the spending freeze. Purvis also wrote that the financial problems faced by CPS were the result of financial mismanagement, as the district had received block grants from the state and increased revenue from local property taxes.

2017: Teacher's union contemplates one-day walkout

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) considered a one-day walkout on May 1, 2017, to bring attention to the budget problems facing Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The union held a vote on April 5, 2017, and decided the walkout would not take place.

The proposed walkout stemmed from a December 2016 veto issued by Governor Bruce Rauner (R) that terminated $215 million in state aid to the school district. The president of the CTU, Karen Lewis, also called on the district to reverse its plan of an April 7 furlough day, one of four ordered by CPS to help the district save money, as a show of good faith that it would continue to work with the union.

While members of the CTU voted against a walkout in May 2017, they did go on a one-day walkout in 2016. For more than a year, contract negotiations between CPS, CTU, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) were underway to replace a pact that expired in June 2015. In January 2016, the CTU’s bargaining team rejected a contract proposal that was presented as part of the district’s operating budget. When a second contract proposal that was similar to the first was presented to the CTU in April 2016, teachers staged a one-day walkout. The contract was rejected.

After multiple rounds of these failed contract negotiations, the CPS Board of Education unanimously approved a $5.4 billion operating budget for 2016-2017 on August 24, 2016. The budget included $30 million in concessions from the CTU. The budget was first proposed in early August and included increased property taxes and personnel cuts. It also offered gradual pay increases for teachers and phased out district payments into CTU pension and insurance funds. The inclusion of $945 million in borrowing for unspecified construction projects received backlash from CTU leaders after 1,000 teachers, aides, and support staff were laid off earlier in the month due to district budget shortfalls. In response, Chicago teachers marched in front of CPS headquarters the day the budget passed.

On August 30, 2016, the CTU called for a strike authorization vote in October 2016. Vice President Jesse Sharkey said that a vote taken in December showed that 88 percent of union members would allow leaders to call a strike, more than the 75 percent required by law. While members of the CTU called for a strike to occur on October 11, 2017, the CPS Board of Education and the union came to an agreement minutes before midnight the night before, averting the walkout. At the time, the agreement still had to be voted on by CTU's members, but Lewis said this of the contract:

“

We have a commitment from the board on our pension pickup. And we have a commitment from the board on a host of other things that really will make the classrooms work a lot better and will keep people.

”

2016: Lawsuit filed seeking elected school board

A lawsuit was filed on October 5, 2016, suing the CPS school board and the Illinois State Board of Education. The suit stated that Chicago's practice of appointing school board members "violates the rights of all city taxpayers to elect who taxes them, disproportionately affecting minority voters, and has left the district in worse financial shape since 1995, when it was placed under mayoral control," according to the Chicago Sun Times.

Among the plaintiffs were former Illinois governor Pat Quinn (D) and some district families, as well as local school council members. The group asked the judge to order elections in order to replace the mayor's appointed school board. The Illinois House of Representatives had passed a bill to create an elected school board in 2015, but the bill did not pass in the state Senate once Mayor Rahm Emmanuel opposed it.

A federal copy of the complaint the plaintiffs planned to file read,

“

The experiment in mayoral control in Chicago has been a failure and does not plausibly justify the severe and destructive impact on the plaintiffs’ right to vote and hold accountable the officials running their public schools. The looming financial bankruptcy of the Chicago public schools after twenty years of mismanagement by mayorally appointed boards imperils the very right of Chicago children to a public education.

”

The district's superintendent Forrest Claypool responded to the suit:

“	Looks like gadfly Pat Quinn has latched on to his next failed endeavor. Coming from a governor who could have fixed the most racially discriminatory education funding formula in the nation but didn’t, and who failed miserably to address chronic education underfunding despite pushing through record tax increases, this is another absurd waste of energy and taxpayer dollars.	”
—Forrest Claypool (2016)

The suit was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Elaine Bucklo in February 2017. "Plaintiffs have no fundamental right to vote in school board elections as a matter of law, and the fact that residents of other Illinois jurisdictions have the privilege of voting in such elections in their districts does not confer such a right upon residents of Chicago," she wrote.

2016: CPS receives lower bond rating

Moody's Investor Service, a Wall Steet credit rating agency, lowered its bond rating of Chicago Public Schools by one notch to a B3, on September 26, 2016. The agency cited the district leaning on short-term borrowing, a "deepening structural deficit," and a budget "built on unrealistic expectations" for help from the state government. The news of the decreased rating came on the same day that the district announced that 300 school budgets would lose a total of $45 million due to declines in enrollment.

Other major credit agencies viewed CPS similarly to Moody's. Fitch Ratings Agency emphasized its view of the district's "strained, structurally imbalanced" affairs that count on short-term borrowing and have limited reserves, and are "poorly positioned to absorb even a mild economic downturn." Standard & Poor, another agency, also expressed concerns about the district's financial position and warned it could downgrade CPS' debt unless they saw a "credible and sustainable long-term solution to its financial pressures." The agency went on to do so in November 2016, lowering the district's rating from a B+ to a B.

The district's Senior Vice President of Finance Ron DeNard commented,

“	Moody's view remains an outlier from other ratings agencies' perspectives on Chicago and its sister agencies. Looking ahead, CPS will continue to work to strengthen its finances and finalize the path forward to fiscal soundness in the years to come.	”
—Ron DeNard (2016)

2016: Board suspends president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association

The Chicago Board of Education suspended the principal of Blaine Elementary, Troy LaRaviere, on April 20, 2016. According to the board, violations included LaRaviere's public opposition to the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam and his ignoring warnings after engaging in "political activity" while on the job. The district's charges stated that, "As a principal of a Chicago Public School, you owe a duty of loyalty to the (school) board, the CEO and their designees." LaRaviere's actions, according to the district, were "reckless, critical and insubordinate."

In response, LaRaviere said, "Public advocacy doesn't distract us from our professional responsibilities; public advocacy is our professional responsibility. ... The best way to protect your rights is to exercise them, so that's what I did." In 2015, LaRaviere endorsed Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's opponent Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, and earlier in 2016, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. LaRaviere's suspension came just weeks before he was elected as president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association.

2016: New proposal from the governor

Ill. Gov. Bruce Rauner (R)

Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) announced a proposal on January 20, 2016, that would allow the state to take over the school district. It would also allow both the city and the school district to file for bankruptcy: an option which had not been legal thus far.

“If the mayor is unwilling to stand up for his taxpayers and his school children in dealing with the Chicago Teachers Union, [then] rather than trying to push his liabilities on the state, we’re asking the mayor to partner with us,” said Rauner.

2016: Gov. Rauner denies CPS financial help

Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) announced he would not increase financial aid to Chicago Public Schools unless Mayor Rahm Emanuel advocated for his legislative agenda. Rauner stated that he would remain firm in his stance even if CPS laid off thousands of teachers, as it warned it would unless a solution to the district's budget deficit was found. The governor also said he would sign a bill that would allow Chicago residents to recall their mayor if it came to his desk.

2015: Four charter schools recommended for closure

CPS CEO Forest Claypool recommended that four charter schools in the district close by the end of the 2015-2016 school year. The schools were already on the Academic Warning List and were thus receiving much closer attention than normal.

The recommendation to close down the schools came during a financially difficult period in the district, which found itself with a $480 million budget deficit. CPS faced firing 5,000 teachers by Thanksgiving unless an alternative route was agreed upon. Read more about CPS' budget below.

2015: Miscounted dropouts result in lower graduation rates

The district was forced to lower four years' worth of previously-inflated graduation rate statistics after it was revealed by WBEZ and the Better Government Association that the numbers had been calculated incorrectly. Officials stated that the true drop-out rate for 2014 was 66.3 percent instead of 69.4 percent. The discrepancy in numbers was a result of mislabeling students who left the district. Those who were previously listed as moving out of town or going to private schools were found to actually be attending alternative schools. Additionally, 600 students were listed as attending GED programs. According to Illinois state law, students such as these ought to be classified as drop-outs. This mislabeling occurred for over 1,000 students in the Chicago Public Schools District and affected the overall percentage of high school dropouts for the district. Not only was the dropout rate for 2014 altered; four years of data had to be adjusted. According to the Chicago Tribune, "The new formula drops graduation rates between the 2010-11 and 2013-14 school years an average of more than 2 percentage points."

Graduation Rate Comparison in Percentage
Year	Former Method	New Approach
2011	58.3	56.9
2012	61.2	59.3
2013	65.4	62.5
2014	69.4	66.3
2015		69.9

2015: Protests and a hunger strike for Dyett High School

Chicago residents crowded the stage at a city budget public hearing on September 2, 2015, after Mayor Rahm Emanuel declined to answer questions about the fate of Walter H. Dyett High School. The group demanded Emanuel answer their questions "right now." Police escorted Emanuel out of the meeting, and the hearing was shut down.

Some members of the group at the budget hearing were part of a hunger strike insisting the city re-open the high school, which was closed in June 2015 due to low enrollment numbers and test scores. Members of the hunger strike wanted the school converted to a science-focused, open enrollment school. As of the meeting on September 2, 2015, Chicago officials had not revealed any permanent plans for the school. It was initially slated for permanent closure, but officials said they were considering other options.

Those who wanted the school to remain open said that city officials were moving too slowly on this decision, which they worried would mean keeping the school closed for good. Jitu Brown and April Stogner, two members of the hunger strike, went to Washington, D.C. to ask Education Secretary Arne Duncan (D) to intervene. “I’m hungry. But I’m not really hungry for food -- I’m hungry for justice. I’m hungry for justice for my grandbabies, for all the kids in my community," said Stogner. The hunger strike was on its 17th day as of the budget hearing on September 2, 2015.

On September 3, 2015, one day after the budget hearing was shut down, Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool announced Dyett High School would be re-opened as an open enrollment arts high school with a technology lab. Though some leaders, such as U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D), praised the decision, those involved with the hunger strike said they were not satisfied. They said the district did not give their proposal a chance. "This is their way of pushing us out of our own community," said Jeanette Taylor-Ramann, a member of the hunger strike and a district parent. The group planned to continue their hunger strike until their proposal for the school was further discussed.

Claypool said the arts high school was a solution that filled multiple needs: "Creating an open enrollment neighborhood high school, producing an enrollment stream that can weather population changes, filling the critical demand for an arts high school on the south side and working with education leaders to create a technology hub."

Protestors formally announced they were ending their hunger strike on September 21, 2015. Rather than continuing to protest the use of Dyett High School, they said they would be campaigning for an elected school board. A bill was introduced to convert the CPS Board of Education to an elected board in the Illinois State Legislature in August 2015.

2015: Bill introduced to set up elected school board

A bill to convert the Chicago Board of Education from a mayor-appointed board into an elected board was introduced in the Illinois House of Representatives on August 10, 2015. The bill passed in the state House, but it did not pass in the state Senate once Mayor Rahm Emmanuel opposed it.

HB 4268 would have converted the school district's five-member board into a 13-member board. Those members would have been elected from four areas of the city. Three areas—the southeast side, the southwest side and the west/central side—would have been represented by three members each, and the north region of the city would have been represented by four members. Elections for the board would have been held as soon as March 2016.

Chicago citizens had the chance to voice their opinions on this change in February 2015. In the general election, a non-binding referendum asked voters in 37 of the city's 50 wards if they would like to see the Chicago Board of Education switch to being an elected board. Voters in those wards overwhelmingly passed the referendum, according to a sponsor of the bill, State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago).

2015: Federal investigation of CEO

In April 2015, it was revealed that Barbara Byrd-Bennett, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools at the time, was the focus of a federal grand jury investigation. At issue was her relationship with a former employer, a leadership program for K-12 administrators called SUPES Academy, and a contract the district made with the academy in June 2013. The contract involved $20.5 million for "leadership development services" to train the district's chiefs, deputy chiefs, principals and assistant principals from June 2013 to June 2016. Byrd-Bennett was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison for a federal wire fraud charge in April 2017.

The 2013 contract was not the district's first with SUPES Academy. The district paid the academy approximately $15 million from 2012 to 2015. The parties had entered into a one-year agreement in 2012 but agreed to dissolve the former contract when the 2013 one was approved and SUPES Academy was officially hired on a "non-competitive basis." The contract under investigation was reviewed and approved by an internal committee, the district's chief procurement officer, and the board of education before it was signed on June 26, 2013. Some argued, however, that the contract should have been opened up to give the district a chance to consider competitive bids; other organizations in the area had similar training programs.

News on the investigation into the contract came at a time when the district was in dire financial straits, including a $1.1 billion budget gap for the 2015-2016 school year and a Baa3 ranking from Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings. The Baa3 ranking is the second-lowest investment grade assigned by Moody's, a company that "provides credit ratings and research covering debt instruments and securities," according to its website.

CPS Interim CEO Jesse Ruiz

Both SUPES Academy and CPS said they would fully cooperate with the investigators. Byrd-Bennett, who had not been accused of any wrongdoing at the time, took a paid leave of absence on April 20, 2015, while the investigation continued. Board of Education Vice President Jesse Ruiz was appointed to fill in as her replacement in the interim. Byrd-Bennett then resigned on June 1, 2015, and Ruiz maintained his role as interim CEO until July 2015.

Two days after assuming office, Ruiz suspended the contract with SUPES Academy. He said he thought it was "prudent that we take a pause." All training seminars with the academy were canceled for the remainder of the 2014-2015 school year. In a statement, SUPES Academy said it was disappointed by the suspension but looked forward to working with CPS again in the future.

CPS Board President David Vitale

In a board meeting on April 22, 2015, both Ruiz and board President David Vitale defended the board's decision to approve the contract in 2013, saying they had followed the precautions put in place for no-bid contracts. “Given the information we had at that point in time, and given the information that we were provided as board members, I stand by that vote,” Ruiz said.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who appointed Byrd-Bennett in October 2012, said he could not answer when asked if he had confidence in Byrd-Bennett. "I don't even know who they are looking at. It's a CPS matter," said Emanuel.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) was more open with his criticism of Chicago Public Schools. "This investigation is very sad, I hope there's been no wrong-doing, but Chicago Public Schools has been a source of patronage, cronyism, dealings, massive bureaucracy. It hasn't really served the families and the parents of the children in a very long time," said Rauner. He also suggested bankruptcy might be the best option for the school district.

In June 2015, Emanuel appointed four new members to the CPS school board, replacing members whose terms were about to end. Those former members all voted to approve the no-bid contract with SUPES Academy in 2013. The new members were sworn into their new positions in July.

Emanuel appointed a new permanent CEO for Chicago Public Schools in July 2015. He named Forrest Claypool, his chief of staff at the time, to the position. Claypool formerly headed the city's transit agency.

Emanuel called Claypool "exactly the right person at the right time." The Chicago Teachers Union, however, was not as certain of the mayor's choice. Union President Karen Lewis said that though the union could work with anyone, Claypool's appointment was a bad idea because he had no background in education. "It's been tried before and didn't work," said Lewis.

2015: Teacher pension payment

See also: Public pensions in Illinois

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) was required to make a $634 million payment to the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund by June 30, 2015, but Mayor Rahm Emanuel sought an extension on the payment. The last hope for an extension was a re-vote on a bill extending the deadline, but it was not called before the pension payment came due. CPS made the payment on June 30, 2015, avoiding a lawsuit and a further credit rating drop, but the district warned it would mean large cuts in programs and possible layoffs.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

In early June, Emanuel did not answer when asked if the school district had the money to make the pension payment, but he admitted that the district's finances were "challenging." He said that his goal was to work with the state to make sure those financial challenges did not undermine the work the district was doing. That included asking the Illinois House of Representatives for an extension to pay into the pension fund. On June 23, 2015, the House voted down SB 437, a pension payment extension for the district that was passed by the Illinois State Senate on April 23, 2015. The final vote was 53-46 in favor, but it required a three-fifths majority to pass, coming up 18 votes short.

SB 437 was scheduled for a second vote on June 30, 2015, but Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D), the sponsor of the bill, did not call it for a vote. She said she did not have enough votes for it to pass.

If the bill had been called and passed, it would have allowed the district to wait until August 10, 2015, to pay into the pension fund, which corresponded with the day the state distributed school aid. Because the bill was not called, CPS had to make the payment on June 30, 2015. Both CPS officials and Emanuel said the district would have to make severe classroom cuts in order to make the pension payment, as a partial pension payment would have led to a lawsuit. Board President David Vitale said that making the pension payment could lead to hundreds, if not thousands of layoffs.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R)

Before the pension payment was made, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) offered a $450 million advance to CPS in the form of state grants that would normally have been used for the 2015-2016 school year, but Emanuel and Interim CPS CEO Jesse Ruiz turned the offer down. Emanuel instead sought a long-term solution to what he called the “structural inequity” of teacher pensions.

“We appreciate the governor’s gesture, but the use of this year’s dollars to pay last year’s pension payment follows the same path that got the schools into the current financial mess,” said mayoral spokeswoman Kelley Quinn.

Ruiz said that accepting the advance would have risked losing funding resources for early childhood education and special education programs in the district. "What our children really need is for us all to come together to figure out real and long-term solutions,” said Ruiz.

Chicago Public Schools headquarters

The CPS Board of Education took an alternative route to accepting the advance and voted 5-0 to borrow over $1 billion in additional funds in the week before the pension payment was due. The first $200 million line of credit included in those borrowed funds was approved to help the district get through June 2015. Another $935 million line of credit was approved to help the district through the 2015-2016 school year. According to CPS officials, however, these additional funds were not enough to stop the district from making budget cuts without the pension payment extension.

The final budget cuts to make the payment totaled $200 million, which included slashing 1,400 positions. Some of those positions—350 of them—were vacant at the time they were cut, but 1,050 employees did not return to CPS for the 2015-2016 school year. Emanuel said these cuts would not affect the start date or classroom sizes for the 2015-2016 school year. Ruiz agreed, saying most of the cut positions would be from the central office and school support staff.

Other cuts took money from new teacher development programs; new turnaround schools and professional development programs tied to those schools; new charter, contract, and alternative learning schools; elementary school sports teams; and the facility repair and maintenance budget. In early July 2015, Ruiz announced 500 special education teachers across the district would also be laid off. Some school officials said those cuts would not work as they were barely meeting the needs of students with special education requirements with the staff they had.

Emanuel blamed the budget cuts on the state's political system. "There's a series of political compromises and patchwork over the years that can no longer continue," said Emanuel. He suggested the state set up a new pension system in which the state would pay the district's annual pension payments, not including the money the district owes due to missed payments. A dedicated tax levy, like one used in the city prior to 1995, would then be put in place to pay into the teacher's pension. Emanuel estimated such a tax levy could generate $175 million.

"The whole system, in my view, is inside out and upside down and it's leading to a set of decisions that are totally intolerable. Our kids and teachers deserve better from political leaders," said Emanuel.

District officials warned that more layoffs might be issued if the district did not receive assistance from the state or a reprieve in payments from the teacher pension fund. Tim Cawley, chief administrator for CPS, tried to stave off some of the district's 2016 payment. He asked the pension fund board for a $500 million reprieve in 2016 in exchange for making monthly payments into the fund, starting on January 1, 2016. Monthly installments were the preferred form of payment by the pension fund. The pension fund board, however, declined the extension request.

On July 13, 2015, CPS officials told schools in the district that per-student funding levels would remain unchanged from the 2014-2015 school year. This meant there would be no teacher raises. The schools were also told that the district would hold to enrollment numbers for the 2015-2016 school year, unlike the two years previously when the district provided a financial cushion. Chief Financial Officer Ginger Ostro said if schools had fewer students than expected, they would receive less money. Enrollment was expected to drop by 4,000, meaning $60 million less for public schools. Charter schools, however, were expected to gain 3,000 more students, meaning an additional $30 million for those schools.

The Illinois State Senate voted 37-1 to pass a bill that would increase state contributions to the Chicago teacher's pension fund. It required the state to contribute $200 million to the fund in June 2016. On June 30, 2016, CPS made a $657.5 million payment to the teacher's pension fund. The district was left with $83 million after the payment, only enough to support a few days of school when the 2016-2017 year began. CPS expected nearly $350 million in revenue from the state after the budget was passed on June 30, 2016, but, as of that date, did not know when it would receive these funds. Chief education officer Janice Jackson was confident that despite the district's deficit, schools would open on schedule in September 2016. "I can say that there’s no one more excited about just more stability here today," she said, "and I’m happy to be able to look parents and teachers and students in the face and say that we will continue to provide them with the high-quality education that a world-class city like Chicago deserves."

Contact information

Chicago Public Schools
42 W. Madison St.
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 773-553-1000

About school boards

Education legislation in Illinois

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

Illinois	School Board Elections	News and Analysis
List of school districts in Illinois School board elections in Illinois Public education in Illinois	School board elections, 2025 Illinois school board elections, 2025	School board election data analysis, 2024 United States school shootings, 1990-present

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Chicago Public Schools
• Illinois Association of School Boards
• Illinois State Board of Education