Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool on Tuesday announced hundreds of millions of dollars in school budget cuts amid negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union.
A day after the bargaining team for the Chicago Teachers Union unanimously rejected a contract offer from the Chicago Board of Education, Claypool unveiled that CPS will cut $100 million from school budgets to help decrease its deficit.
“This is something I’d hoped to avoid at all costs,” Claypool said. “We’ll do our very best to prevent teacher cuts and we’ll work with schools to keep class sizes small and prevent mid-year disruptions.”
Claypool also announced major changes to CPS’ pension plan.
“We cannot afford to continue the current practice of paying both teacher and employer pension payments,” Claypool said.
Altogether, the $50 million CPS cuts from the central office, as well as the $100 million cuts from schools’ budgets and $170 million in savings from pensions totals $320 million dollars of deficit reduction, according to Claypool.
In response to CPS’ announcement, CTU President Karen Lewis explained that everyone in the district is facing a “clear and present danger.”
CPS CEO Claypool Announces Millions in Budget Cuts Amid CTU Negotiations
In response to CPS’ announcement, CTU President Karen Lewis explained that the district is facing a “clear and present danger.”
