“The challenge ahead marks the first time in recent years that CPS has had to consider deep school-based cuts,” writes Reema Amin for Chalkbeat Chicago. “That’s largely because the district benefitted from a windfall of nearly $3 billion in federal COVID relief money over the past four school years, which supported 7% of school budgets, according to a Chalkbeat analysis.”
The school board recently heard a presentation suggesting removal of up to 1,700 positions, although “it’s not clear if the number represents a net reduction in the overall number of CPS employees,” Amin noted.
“While some of the belt-tightening could include cutting vacant positions, it would ‘overwhelmingly’ involve layoffs, according to a CPS source who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the press.”
