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2w ago

Chicago Public Schools Lays Off 161 Staff and Cuts 209 Vacancies to Bridge $734 Million Gap

Leaders are weighing state aid against tax-increment financing measures to prevent deeper classroom reductions

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Zion Richards, a Curie High School senior, holds a sign reading “Protect our People, Protect our Planet” while attending a Chicago Teachers Union press conference outside of Chicago Public Schools headquarters prior to a CPS monthly board meeting on June 26, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
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Overview

  • The district’s fiscal 2026 shortfall rose to $734 million after adding a $175 million pension payment and $30 million in costs to absorb Acero charter schools.
  • CPS issued layoff notices for 161 central office and citywide employees and eliminated 209 vacant positions, including 87 crossing guards and seven CTU staffers.
  • May’s school-level budgets assumed $300 million in new state or city funding that has yet to materialize, triggering the latest cuts.
  • The Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU Local 73 have held rallies urging the district to secure additional state appropriations and tap TIF surpluses to safeguard student services.
  • The Board approved a Healthy Green Schools Pilot Program to fund 12 clean-energy projects by the end of FY 2026 as a long-term cost-saving strategy.