Overview
- Chicago Public Schools eliminated crossing guard service at 33 intersections citywide, including 11 in the South Side 19th Ward, to help close a roughly $730 million budget gap.
- Alderman Matt O’Shea disclosed the cuts on July 25 and said CPS failed to notify elected officials, school leaders or parents less than three weeks before classes resume.
- Community advocates warn that students at hazardous crossings such as 107th Street and Pulaski Road will face greater risks without guard protection amid four lanes of speeding traffic.
- O’Shea has formally asked the CPS Inspector General to investigate the decision and requested City Council hearings to hold the district accountable.
- He has urged Mayor Brandon Johnson to intervene and reinstate the eliminated positions, and CPS has not yet issued a public response.