CPS Releases Budget Amid Protests Of Cuts, Layoffs
By aaroncynic in News on Jul 26, 2013 5:40PM
Chicago Public Schools released its preliminary budget on Wednesday, which includes a raise on property taxes and $68 million in cuts. The district will also plans to empty a $700 million reserve fund to shore up its $1 billion deficit. According to WBEZ, revenues for the school system will increase by $93.7 million, but it will spend $630 million more than it will take in. Tim Cawley, chief administrative officer told WBEZ, “We have changed the way we do just about everything. We’re looking for cuts that we can make away from the classroom. We’re managing our debt differently, we’re consolidating schools.”
Parents, students and teachers however, see the budget and cuts inside quite differently. Prior to the board meeting on Wednesday, hundreds gathered beginning before 8 a.m. in front of CPS headquarters on Clark Street to protest both the budget cuts and the massive layoff of 3,000 school employees, including 2,100 teachers. Demonstrators not only said that there were other avenues the City and CPS could use to fund the school system. After picketing the Board of Education for more than an hour, demonstrators marched to the Thompson Center to call on Governor Quinn to stop the TIF funding of the DePaul arena. Senate Bill 20, which Quinn signed yesterday, gives a $55 million subsidy to the university to build a new stadium, which critics of the budget say could’ve been spent to shore up the CPS deficit.
At the Thompson Center, teachers and parents also spoke of the devastating effects school closures, budget cuts and layoffs will have on Chicago Public School Students.
“I was a teacher to 120 awesome students at Kelly High School. I was the only orchestra teacher they had on staff. This affects my program, my students. It’s a rough transition, especially in a program where students are there for four years, going from one teacher to another," said Sean Diller, a teacher laid off on Friday.
“My children are facing a class size of 42 per class at their receiving school. I’m very worried because I will no longer send my children to be educated, I will be sending them to be cared for in a babysitting room,” said Rousemary Vega, a parent from Lafayette Elementary School, one of more than 50 schools closed by CPS.
Later, a group of students from an organization called Chicago Students Organizing to Save Our Schools spoke out at the board meeting. “I call upon the board to witness damages to witness damages that affect both the schools around the city and every kid under CPS. Acknowledge my importance. Look me in the eye and tell me you are going to fix the education system in Chicago,” said one student.