Chicago Board of Education members approved a $9.3 billion budget Wednesday they say paves the way for students to return to in-person learning Aug. 30 — while also noting there is a financial “cliff that is already staring us in the face.”
The 2021-22 budget, which passed unanimously, includes $7.8 billion in operating expenses, $707 million for building repairs and technology advances, and $763 million for long-term debt payments.
The overall budget, which is backed by $1.06 billion in federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funding, is an increase from last year’s $8.4 billion budget. Overall, CPS expects to receive $2.6 billion through 2024 from coronavirus-related emergency federal funds.
“It’s basic math that if we take those federal dollars, and we use those federal dollars to create full-time positions at high numbers, that within a couple of years, when those federal dollars are gone, we will not have the funds to pay for those positions,” Board President Miguel del Valle said before issuing a warning: “The cliff is going to be there. And so as a board, it’s our obligation to make sure, as I said, that we mitigate it, that we try to lessen the blow that’s inevitable.”
The budget vote came hours after members of the Chicago Teachers Union staged a rally outside the Chicago Public Schools’ Loop headquarters, calling on the district to spend more money to ensure each of its 600-plus schools has a social worker and nurse. The district has said it is trying to meet this goal by the 2023-24 school year.
“We have work left to do — I will be the first to say that — and we are not stopping,” CPS’ chief talent officer Matt Lyons said Wednesday. “To the extent that we can continue to hire school social workers and nurses throughout the year — nursing, particularly, is something we can hire year-round — we will continue to open positions.”
The Civic Federation, a nonpartisan government watchdog based in Chicago, said Wednesday it supports CPS’ overall budget but questioned the district’s long-term financial sustainability with federal coronavirus relief funds set to expire in 2024.
The research organization also noted student enrollment keeps declining, from 404,151 students in 2012 to 340,658 this past year; that the district is “heavily reliant” on short-term borrowing; and that underfunded teachers’ pensions “continue to be a source of concern.”
“While the size of the budget continues to grow, the number of students in Chicago Public Schools continues to shrink. These issues need to be addressed through a comprehensive long-term plan,” Civic Federation President Laurence Msall told board members by phone.
CPS administrators are trying to “reengage” 100,000 students at risk of not returning to school next month by visiting their homes and calling their parents, moves they hope will stanch continuing enrollment declines.
Erin Galfer, CPS deputy chief at the Office of College and Career Success, said home visits to about 18,000 students began two weeks ago, while calls to parents of about 75,000 students started this week. CPS has also partnered with community groups to participate in back-to-school and COVID-19 vaccination outreach in 10 communities “as identified as the highest need,” Galfer said.
“I’m focusing all my energy and efforts to making sure all students and families are ready to come back to school,” interim CPS CEO José Torres said at Wednesday’s six-hour board meeting, his first since taking the reins earlier this month.
It was also the first board meeting to allow public participation in person since the pandemic took hold in Chicago early last year. Everyone in the board meeting room was required to wear masks, no matter their vaccination status, which mirrors the universal indoor masking mandate enacted for CPS students, teachers and staff for the upcoming school year.
In other board news:
CPS administrators expressed disappointment that not enough students are getting vaccinated. Torres said as of Tuesday, 265 vaccine doses had been administered at three Chicago high schools that were recently transformed into standing vaccination sites for CPS students and family members. Additional shots have been given at mobile district events, he said. “We do get anywhere from 30 to 70 either appointments or walk-ins for the vaccinations, but we have the capacity to give 200 doses a day,” Torres said. “We just need … the right messengers. We need teachers to tell their students go get vaccinated, tell their parents to do that.”
The board approved a controversial custodial services contract with Aramark for up to $369 million. The Philadelphia-based janitorial company has come under fire for claims of inadequate cleaning of Chicago schools. The deal is set to run through June 2024 with two options to renew for two years each. “There are concerns. There are concerns for any service provider (for) over 600 campuses,” CPS’ Chief Facilities Officer Clarence Carson said. “We hear from the principals all the time about those concerns, no matter who the service provider is, that they want someone to hear them, to be responsive and to act. That’s something we hold or I hold (Aramark) accountable for.”
