Education

Revised CPS Budget That Removes Furloughs Still a ‘First Draft,’ Says CTU President

With a Thursday vote looming on the next Chicago Public Schools budget, a revised proposal from the district looks to avoid furloughs to close its $732 million deficit, but still leaves 1,601 layoffs on the table — including 759 teachers. 

After calling the first proposal “dead on arrival,” Chicago Teachers Union president Stacy Davis Gates on Tuesday acknowledged progress, but still said the amendments come up short. 

“We’re calling on board members to call (the proposal) a first draft,” Davis Gates told WTTW News. “(Every year) we push them, we challenge them… and we finally get to a place that both parties can tolerate. And we’re not there yet.” 

CPS officials are calling for a vote on the budget at Thursday’s board meeting, well in advance of the Aug. 29 deadline set by state law. But a number of factors — including pushback from the union — are complicating that timeline.

The revised proposal from the district released earlier Tuesday avoids furloughs by increasing the estimated TIF surplus revenue by $85 million, a maneuver that is possible because the city does not declare its annual TIF surplus until later in the year. Last year’s record TIF surplus sent over $500 million to the schools.

Meanwhile, districts throughout Cook County say they’re still waiting on property tax payments from the Cook County Treasurer’s Office. 

Today, the Illinois Federation of Teachers — of which CTU is an affiliate and Davis Gates serves as president — announced a lawsuit against Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. The IFT said that CPS alone has incurred nearly $40 million in interest from short-term borrowing needed to cover this gap. 

“No comment on the pending litigation,” Pappas said in a statement to WTTW News. “We have given the Chicago Board of Education more than $4.5 billion. These attacks are par for the course. It’s election season.”

But Davis Gates said the lawsuit is necessary to collect the bill. 

“We’re just looking for (Pappas) to understand that it’s back-to-school season, and to make good on the money that we were supposed to get last school year,” Davis Gates said. “She’s calling it election season? Give me a break.”  

Davis Gates and CTU are also looking to the state for funds to close the budget gap.   

“The governor and the General Assembly have to get real,” said Davis Gates. “If you can opine about calling a special session for the Chicago Bears, certainly you can call a special session when the largest school district in the state of Illinois is telling you they’re having difficulty reaching payroll because you haven’t given them the money that they’re legally required to have.”

The most recent state budget increased money for the evidence-based funding program by $350 million — more than the mandated minimum, but still nearly a billion dollars less than what the state’s formula says the district needs to be 90% adequately funded, according to CPS.   

“We need more funding for schools that are not at appropriate adequacy levels,” Gov. JB Pritzker said at a news conference today. “The reality is we are limited in resources.” 

Davis Gates pointed to higher than expected revenues that could be used to avoid school layoffs. 

“I don’t think you cut when people owe you money, you call in the debt,” Davis Gates said. “And so we’re calling in the debt, and the Governor has to answer the phone.” 

Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King is set to appear on “Chicago Tonight” Wednesday evening to discuss the budget proposal. 

Matt Masterson contributed to this reporting.

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