Chicago Public Schools CEO at odds with mayor, CTU on budget deficit, sources say
Chicago Public Schools budget woes may put mayor, CTU at odds with district head
Chicago Public Schools leaders presented a unified front on Tuesday with the mayor's office and powerful Chicago Teachers Union, but Wednesday's budget reveal might find the sides once again at odds.
CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools leaders presented a unified front on Tuesday with the mayor's office and powerful Chicago Teachers Union, but Wednesday's budget reveal might find the sides once again at odds.
New CPS CEO Macquiline King met the media alongside Mayor Brandon Johnson's Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas and CTU President Stacy Davis Gates, after a series of budget briefings with City Council members and state lawmakers.
What we know:
The three might not be in agreement on how to solve a $734 million budget gap.
What they do agree on is that they need billions more from Springfield.
"You don't just owe someone $2 billion, and in fact, you don't just owe a school district full of young people $2 billion," Davis Gates said, referring to a Sun-Times article that reported the state underfunded the school district by $1.6 billion.
The meeting comes after CPS sources told Fox 32 that King's budget will not include a $200 million short-term loan and will propose pushing a $175 million pension cost onto the city.
That was the exact approach taken by fired former CEO Pedro Martinez, who said the district couldn't afford new borrowing. The sources said the mayor's office and CTU are pressuring King to change her stance on those items.
What they're saying:
On Tuesday, King wouldn't say whether or not the pressure campaign was working.
"I can say that we're considering all options," King said. "It's the message that we've been very consistent with since the budget roundtables with our community. In order to get to the best budget that allows our students to have a stable opening and closing of school for this fiscal school year, that's what we're considering."
Sources told Fox 32 the budget will rely on asking the mayor for a hefty TIF surplus payment, as well as more money from Springfield thanks to an accounting change.
But $1.6 billion? That's not likely, said State Rep. Ann Williams, a North Side Democrat.
"That seems like a pretty high bar, and one that's very difficult to meet," Williams said. "Obviously if it were up to me and I could snap my fingers, CPS would have all the money it ever needed to make sure that we provided the best quality of education for kids there, as well as the rest of the state."
She expressed disappointment that city, CPS, and CTU leaders chose to blame Springfield. "It's a familiar refrain. As you know, we have significant fiscal challenges of our own."
Earlier this morning, Johnson sidestepped questions that he might be at odds once again with his CPS head, but hinted that he still wants to borrow.
"Every option that's available to us, we have to actually lean into and have a robust discussion around it, and we're doing just that," Johnson said.
What's next:
King will formally present the budget on Wednesday before the Chicago Board of Education.
This borrowing has been a sticking point for over a year now. The previous board all resigned over the issue, and the previous CEO was fired over refusing it, but the mayor and CTU press on.