Outgoing Chicago Public Faculties CEO Pedro Martinez and his workforce are shifting ahead with a precarious price range for subsequent college 12 months that’s primarily based on $600 million that isn’t lined up — a transfer that might end in hundreds of trainer and assist workers layoffs this summer season and even mid-year.
The principals’ union and the mayor’s workplace blasted Martinez, saying that he’s placing politics above the wants of scholars. Principals expect to get their school-level budgets on Thursday, however the Chicago Principals & Directors Affiliation referred to as these budgets “false” and “magical.”
Faculty Board President Sean Harden additionally criticized Martinez final week for presenting the board with “unsatisfactory and incomplete” price range choices. Harden referred to as for Martinez, who has been terminated with an finish date of June 19, to step apart instantly.
The college-level budgets assume a best-case situation through which town provides CPS $300 million in surplus from particular taxing districts referred to as TIFs, and both the state or town give you an extra $300 million. Each town and state are cash-strapped and usually are not planning any huge increase in income for CPS. Final 12 months, town gave CPS a file $298 million in TIF surplus funds, but it surely was primarily based on the premise that the varsity district would cowl a $175 million municipal pension cost. Martinez rebuked the mayor’s demand that CPS pay it.
The mayor’s workplace mentioned neither Martinez nor his workforce have talked to town about delivering extra income. “That is a part of the identical sample of irresponsible and reckless budgeting below CEO Martinez that has led our college district into this fiscal place within the first place,” Johnson’s workplace mentioned in an announcement.
In a name with the media on Wednesday, Martinez defended going ahead primarily based on these assumptions. It permits the varsity district to allocate to varsities about the identical assets as final 12 months, he mentioned, although some faculties would possibly see will increase or decreases primarily based on enrollment and demographic adjustments.
If CPS didn’t issue on this unguaranteed cash, Martinez mentioned, CPS’ price range deficit could be $529 million, school-based budgets could be lowered and principals must minimize packages and hundreds of workers.
“We’ve been very constant about ensuring that we shield our faculties,” Martinez mentioned. “And what I’ve heard constantly from the mayor and from the general board is that they are not looking for cuts.”
Additionally, Martinez insisted he was not being unrealistic by attempting to get extra money from town. He has constantly pushed the concept that TIFs must be drained or liquidated. In TIFs, tax income is frozen in set areas of town and the expansion is used for native improvement and infrastructure packages. CPS could be due about $600 million extra yearly if TIFs didn’t exist, he mentioned.
“We all know that we are able to steadiness this price range whereas defending our faculties, with out elevating taxes and with out irresponsible borrowing, and we all know we are able to do that with present assets that exist in our metropolis,” he mentioned.
Martinez identified that the CTU and Mayor Brandon Johnson have an extended historical past of pushing to remove TIFs. They’ve argued that they’re used as slush funds for builders, whereas diverting cash from faculties.
However lowering or eliminating TIFs are a tough promote as a result of metropolis council members depend upon them to spur financial improvement. Metropolis Council members should comply with this plan.
The town at present has greater than 100 TIF districts with funds meant for ongoing and future tasks, such because the long-awaited southbound extension of the CTA Purple Line. There are TIF districts which might be set to run so long as 2043 and 2052.
Even the belief that town will present one other record-setting $300 million in TIF surplus is dangerous. TIFs are surplused by town by going via every district and pulling cash that isn’t already getting used for a particular undertaking.
The monetary info that principals expect to get Thursday shall be used in order that they and their Native Faculty Councils could make staffing and program choices for the following college 12 months. The district is already behind typical schedule in releasing school-level budgets, which implies it might be tougher to seek out folks to fill open positions and provides laid off workers much less time to seek out new jobs.
“In a presentation by the lame duck CPS administration, we have been informed our members could be required to waste their time and credibility by drafting budgets for subsequent college 12 months which might be primarily based on numbers that CPS admits are off — possible by a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars},” the principals’ affiliation mentioned in a letter to its members, which was obtained by WBEZ.
The CPS price range can also be problematic as a result of it counts on full federal funding, in response to sources who spoke to WBEZ. Counting on federal funding appears more and more dangerous with the Trump administration slicing funds and threatening to freeze grants pending investigations into CPS insurance policies that promote variety and shield transgender college students.
CPS officers responded Wednesday that the price range plan “emphasizes collaboration over blame.”
“The plan requires shared accountability: figuring out new income sources whereas persevering with to make strategic cuts and enhance operational effectivity,” in response to the CPS assertion.
The principal union’s letter additionally takes the facet of the varsity board president, who’s pushing behind the scenes to undo a part of a CPS Board decision that requires an interim CPS CEO to have a superintendent’s license. Board members inform WBEZ that Harden could be trying to set up the Mayor’s chief of workers, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, who has a background in schooling however no superintendent’s license.
“Changing Martinez just isn’t prone to be simple, given the state of the district’s funds and the turmoil he leaves behind,” in response to the letter. “Not having a brief CEO in place as quickly as attainable will solely create extra delays and distractions, and requiring superintendent certification for an interim function shouldn’t be a precedence.”
