CPS Will Not Increase High School Class Sizes

By Soyoung Kwak in News on Aug 15, 2010 7:00PM

If there is one thing the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago seem to be good at, it would be coming up with and finding a lot of money at the last minute. Chicago Public Schools had been flirting with the idea of increasing high school class sizes for some time, but thanks to an "infusion of cash" from the federal jobs bill that passed last week, CPS will have enough funds to restore teaching positions that were cut due to tight budget restrictions, meaning increasing class sizes won't be necessary (for now). The new funds will be available even to schools that already commenced with larger class sizes:

Ten year-round high schools opened Monday with those larger class sizes, and, as a result, fewer teachers than normal. Huberman said schools will be getting "budgetary guidance'' soon on how to open slashed positions.

Around $105 million dollars will be available for the CPS through the new bill. The federal funds are expected to be transferred to CPS before the school year begins in early September, and the money comes at a time when the CPS seems to need it the most. Had the increased class size plan gone into wide effect and remained in effect, class sizes in Chicago high schools would have increased from 31 students per class to 33 students. Although the extra money doesn't guarantee that every instructor who was laid off will get their jobs back, it is definitely good news for the CPS.