As CPS grapples with a major budget deficit, it has pledged to keep cuts as far from the classroom as possible. But principals, who got their budgets last week, are reporting major cuts and layoffs. The school system is using a new per-pupil budgeting system this year, which is causing much confusion, but the steady drumbeat of reports of cuts are too persuasive to ignore.
“There will be loses in positions, programs, services,” Chicago Principals & Administrators Association President Clarice Berry told the Sun-Times Editorial Board. “I don’t see how it can’t be.”
The parents group Raise Your Hand and the Chicago Teachers Union are keeping tabs on the school budget cuts that principals and local school councils are reporting to their parents. I also got some reports from parents at a Raise Your Hand meeting this week.
Here are the cuts that have been reported so far by RYH or to me directly:
- Amundsen High: $780,000
- Carver Millitary Academy: $300,000
- Gage Park High: $1 million
- Ray: $400,000
- Haines: three positions
- Mitchell: $780,000
- Alcott: $700,000
- Pritzker: $186,000
- Goethe: $275,000
- Beasley: $550,000
- Jamieson: about $290,000 (plus the loss of two bilingual positions on top of that)
- Bell: $750,000
- Darwin: $723,000
- Grimes/Fleming: $468,000
- Burr: $365,853
The Chicago Teachers Union is reporting cuts in the 10-25 percent range for schools. Here are the specifics from CTU:
- TEAM Englewood Community Academy HS: $400,000
- Steinmetz HS: $700,000 or 10-12 teachers or paraprofessionals
- Taft High: $3 million
- Roosevelt High: $3 million (RYH says $1.1 million)
- Eberhart: $1.5 million
- Foreman HS: $1.7 million
- Kenwood Academy High: $1.76 million
- Lincoln Park High: $900,000-$1 million
- Social Justice High: $800,0000
None of the cuts have been independently verified
If you know of more cuts, send them to kgrossman@suntimes.com or via Twitter to @KateGrossman1.
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