Members of the Chicago school board, along with educators and community advocates, gathered on Tuesday outside Austin High School to rally for Mayor Brandon Johnson‘s proposed $16.6 billion city budget. This budget includes a significant allocation of $552.4 million for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The support comes in light of the mayor’s budget being recently rejected by a key committee, which has complicated the City Council’s budgeting process.
In response to the setback, Mayor Johnson has initiated an online portal to gather suggestions for budget efficiencies from aldermen, as some are reportedly drafting alternative proposals. Elected school board member Jitu Brown, who represents District 5A on the West Side, emphasized the dire need for the budget’s approval during the rally, stating, “The status quo is starving a school like Douglass, to where it goes from a school with 600 children, a thriving middle school to a school with only 35 children.”
Concerns Over Potential Cuts
At the rally, Wallace Wilbourn Jr., a teacher at Oscar DePriest Elementary School, raised alarm about the repercussions of not passing the budget. He warned that failure to approve the mayor’s budget could lead to cuts in school staffing and increased taxes. “A no vote on the mayor’s budget will support higher taxes and fees on us, the working people, and cuts to our schools and the services our families rely on,” Wilbourn Jr. stated.
Several board members echoed these concerns, indicating that specific schools would face cuts if the budget does not pass. Their assertions were based on calculations made by the Chicago Teachers Union. City budget officials clarified that the $552 million earmarked for CPS would come from a surplus of special taxing dollars known as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and would not be allocated per individual school. Instead, the funds are provided to CPS as a lump sum, leaving the school board to determine spending.
Budget Implications for Schools
A spokesperson for Mayor Johnson stated that the TIF surplus is “one of the least controversial parts of the budget.” If the mayor’s proposal, which includes a $1 billion surplus, is approved, the city stands to gain an additional $223 million from these special taxing districts. Depending on the approval of the TIF surplus amount, CPS may be able to maintain its current budget and avoid midyear cuts.
In August, the Chicago Board of Education approved a $10.2 billion budget for the 2025-26 school year, based on the assumption that it would receive at least $379 million from the city. It is important to note that the City of Chicago’s budget operates on a calendar year, running from January 1 to December 31, 2026.
Following the initial budget proposal, the Board of Education approved an agreement to utilize additional TIF surplus funds to reimburse the city for certain pension costs, a topic that has sparked considerable debate this year.
As discussions continue, the outcome of the budget deliberations will have lasting implications for Chicago’s schools, students, and teachers. The urgency of the situation is underscored by the voices of those advocating for necessary funding to sustain educational programs and support the city’s youth.
