Story thread · 4 reports / 3 sources

CPS budget challenges Springfield to pay up

suntimes.com · 1dShare

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the $9.96 billion budget Chicago Public Schools passed for the coming fiscal year is generating some controversy. OK, so whenever CPS does anything it engenders controversy. But in this case, some legitimate issues are on the table. That’s because in a split vote, the CPS Board passed a budget that includes $150 million in state funding the Illinois General Assembly hasn’t authorized. The board members who voted for the budget noted the speaker of the House and Senate president have publicly indicated a willingness to get more state funding for CPS this year, and including the extra $150 million averted the need to lay off roughly 760 teachers, 800 or so support personnel and 41 assistant principals . Those who opposed the budget aver it’s not fiscally prudent to bake dollars into CPS spending that haven’t been appropriated by state lawmakers and could hurt the CPS credit rating. While acknowledging key state legislative leaders have voi

First report: CPS moves further from funding adequacy despite getting more state dollars — suntimes.com, 3d