Chicago school board passes amended CPS budget
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Children play on a CPS playground. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Chicago school board members voted 11 to 7 Thursday night to reject a CPS-crafted budget and instead adopt a plan backed by the Chicago Teachers Union that restores jobs and relies on $150 million in uncommitted state funds.
Why it matters: Depending on which officials you ask, the move will finally force Springfield to cough up the money it owes CPS — or it breaks state laws and will cause "catastrophic" pay delays.
- Even hours after the meeting was over, the two sides remained split on the true repercussions of the unprecedented vote.
Backstory: CPS was counting on the board passing its $9.9 billion plan that closed a yawning deficit with 1,600 layoffs and counted on $285 million in Tax Increment Financing from the city.
- CPS CEO Macquline King said failure to pass the budget this week would prevent CPS from accessing the crucial loans it needs to make payroll on Sept. 2.
Yes, but: CTU-backed board members called the warning "fear mongering" and insisted they could balance the budget and avoid cuts with state money.
- They pointed to comments by Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch this week supporting supplemental funding for the district in the November veto session.
Yes, but but: District officials say that even if Welch does secure the money in the session, it wouldn't arrive until the 2027-28 school year.
What they're saying: The majority of the board "balanced the budget on the payments the Governor and General Assembly have skipped instead of on the backs of children and educators," the CTU said in a statement Thursday.
- "They decided to hold the adults in the room accountable instead of punish[ing] children for the inaction of the people in power."
The other side: "The Civic Federation is deeply disappointed that the Board chose to reject the responsible fiscal approach reflected in District leadership's proposed budget and instead rely on speculative revenue to close a significant budget gap, creating a needless crisis and chaos for what appears to be political objectives," Civic Federation president Joe Ferguson said in a statement Thursday.
What we're watching: How much of the budget's speculative $435 million actually comes through, and whether or not legal experts believe Thursday's vote conforms with laws requiring realistic budgeting.