Chicago Board of Education Approves $9.9 Billion Budget Amid Protests

The Chicago Board of Education has approved a $9.9 billion budget for the 2024-25 school year, despite significant opposition from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). The budget aims to address a $500 million deficit through spending cuts, including a reliance on vacant positions to save $220 million. CPS officials attribute these savings to natural staff turnover and the time required to fill positions, raising concerns about the impact on student services. CTU members rallied outside the board meeting, voicing their concerns about the budget's implications for vulnerable students, particularly in the South and West Sides of Chicago. Kizzy Evans, a recently laid-off CPS employee, questioned how many positions would remain unfilled and the effect on students. Brenda Delgado, a CPS parent, criticized the lack of an equitable funding formula, emphasizing that the budget cuts would detrimentally affect essential services for students. In response to the budget approval, Hal Woods, chief of policy at Kids First Chicago, highlighted the unsustainable nature of the cuts and the potential loss of critical staff positions. The budget does include the addition of 513 new teacher positions and 337 support staff, but it notably lacks funding for anticipated raises for teachers and staff, as negotiations with CTU are ongoing. In light of the budget's approval, CTU announced plans to launch an "Underfunded and Understaffed Tracker" to monitor the shortages and challenges students may face when they return to school.