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Chicago Public Schools Cuts 1,458 in Second Layoff Wave to Narrow $734 Million Deficit

Banking on pending city funds paired with state support, CPS is staging summer hiring fairs to reassign displaced staff ahead of its August 29 budget vote.

The Chicago Public Schools emblem on its headquarters on West Madison Street, July 10, 2025. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
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Overview

  • The July 11 layoffs eliminated 1,458 school-based positions, including 432 teachers, 311 paraprofessionals and 677 special education classroom assistants.
  • These cuts follow a June round that removed 161 central-office roles as the district realigns staffing with enrollment shifts and academic programming needs.
  • CPS reports that historically over 80% of those laid off secure new positions within the district and plans multiple summer hiring fairs to maintain that track record.
  • The district’s budget for the upcoming school year remains unapproved, and CPS is relying on $300 million in city and state funding that has yet to materialize before the August 29 deadline.
  • CPS’s $734 million shortfall stems from expiring federal relief, underfunding under Illinois’s funding formula and pension obligations, and officials warn further measures could be necessary.