Chicago Public Schools officials say there are some services that won’t be touched as the district works to plug a projected $732 million deficit for the upcoming school year.
That includes crossing guards and the Safe Passage program, which provides workers around schools to keep students safe during arrival and dismissal. Partnerships with organizations that provide mentoring to students, such as Youth Guidance and City Year, will also be preserved.
And CPS CEO/Supt. Macquline King said the district would not reduce instructional time for students to plug the budget gap, though Chicago Teachers Union officials have said they were told in meetings with the district that a shortened school year was under consideration.
Still, district officials admit it will be a challenge to keep cuts away from the classroom. Emila Zoko, the acting chief budget officer, said Thursday that the district had asked “department leaders to determine what reductions can be made with the least impact on students.”
But “it’s getting harder and harder to make reductions” that don’t “impact direct student programming and student supports,” she said.
In May, the district announced plans to reduce the number of regular teachers in the 2026-27 school year by raising the student-to-teacher ratio it uses to provide funding to schools. Many schools are losing their assistant principals and other positions.
The district is still working on its budget plan for next school year, but it’s planning at least $105 million in cuts to non-classroom costs, such as reducing the number of custodians and central office staffers.
The district also plans to add special education teachers, classroom assistants and physical therapists for students with disabilities, though those staff typically provide services that are required under federal law to meet students’ needs.
The CTU claims the district is considering reducing the number of school days next year to save money. Jackson Potter, the vice president of the union, said that’s on top of proposed cuts to librarians, tech coordinators and athletic directors.
“In discussions with the district and the city, we are hearing that up to two weeks of the school year could be canceled in order to meet the budget gap that will still exist after these cuts have been imposed,” Potter said on Thursday.
But the district denied that option was on the table. A CPS spokesperson wrote in a statement that “at no point has the District considered shortening the school year to alleviate these financial challenges.”
And King assured parents at Thursday’s school board meeting that CPS “will not limit instructional time for students next year” based on budget constraints.
CPS plans to release next year’s proposed budget plan by July 15 and is holding a series of community roundtable discussions before then.
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, Potter and other members of the CTU called on state lawmakers to hold a special legislative session to increase funding for CPS. According to the state’s school funding formula, CPS gets 73% of what it needs to provide an “adequate education.” The district would be in a surplus if the state met its funding obligations, CTU members said.
Higher costs, including maintenance of the district’s aging facilities, labor agreements and CPS’ debt payments are contributing to the deficit. Additionally, property tax payments were delayed again this year, costing CPS much-needed funds, officials said.
Property taxes are the district’s single-largest revenue source. Without timely payments, CPS is forced to take out billions in short-term loans to pay staff and keep the lights on, resulting in millions in interest payments. That’s money that doesn’t get spent on classrooms.
Several community members spoke out against planned cuts at their schools.
Andrew Kaplan, a parent and Local School Council member at Whitney Young High School, said the school is set to lose seven teaching and student support positions compared to last year due to the new student-to-teacher ratio.
Langston Ellis, a rising senior at the school, said that will lower the quality of the education.
“I have no doubt that our teachers and administrators will do all they can to support the students,” Ellis said, “but the harsh reality is that programs are being cut, livelihoods are being affected.”