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Chicago Public Colleges estimates {that a} chunk of the Chicago Lecturers Union’s proposals, together with raises for educators, would create a $4 billion deficit for the district by the 2029-2030 faculty 12 months, officers mentioned Tuesday.
The union, for its half, made suggestions for elevating more cash to help the district, together with growing taxes on rich people and firms, and suing banks for what union officers described as predatory lending practices involving CPS in previous years.
Their feedback got here throughout a public bargaining session Tuesday at Morgan Park Excessive Faculty on town’s Far South Aspect, as a part of negotiations between the district and the CTU over the union’s new contract. These negotiations haven’t made a lot progress over the previous few months. Tuesday’s session, the third bargaining session held in public, centered on the district’s funds.
Granting simply 52 of the union’s 700-plus contract proposals would widen the district’s deficit from a projected $509 million subsequent fiscal 12 months, to roughly $3 billion, mentioned Mike Sitkowski, the district’s funds director. That hole would develop by one other $1 billion by fiscal 12 months 2030, he mentioned.
Deficits are already projected for every of the following 5 years, with out the price of a brand new contract, CPS officers have mentioned. With a view to steadiness future budgets, the district must discover extra funding or will make cuts to employees and applications, they mentioned.
The Chicago Board of Schooling handed a funds for this upcoming faculty 12 months that closed a $505 million deficit by cuts and different financial savings, however that funds doesn’t embrace funding to cowl the prices of a brand new lecturers contract.
The district didn’t determine the 52 proposals it thought of as a part of its evaluation, however Sitkowski mentioned the listing included the union’s requests for 9% raises and extra employees.
“We consider our educators deserve truthful raises, however we should acknowledge what’s accountable and sustainable,” Sitkowski mentioned.
Jackson Potter, the union’s vp, informed district officers that highlighting the deficit associated to CTU’s contract proposals “sends the message which you could’t meet any of our suggestions,” resembling extra librarians or extra help for bilingual college students. Union President Stacy Davis Gates didn’t instantly reply a reporter’s query about how a lot the union’s proposals would price.
“The worth tag is alternative for Black kids, immigrant kids, and Latine kids,” she mentioned.
Davis Gates credited earlier union calls for for delivering the post-pandemic pupil achievement good points that the district typically touts. She mentioned she plans to finish the combat for funding with this contract, “come hell or excessive water, and I don’t give a rattling who pay.”
Concern about funds challenges has hovered over the contract negotiations this 12 months, because the district grapples with funds deficits as federal COVID aid {dollars} dry up.
With a view to cowl extra prices, each CPS and the union have known as on the state to supply greater than the $25 million funding enhance it gave this 12 months. Each events level a finger on the state’s fundamental faculty funding system, below which the district wants an extra $1.2 billion to be thought of adequately funded. That determine rose barely this 12 months after the district enrolled extra college students studying English as a brand new language and because the metropolis noticed a drop in tax income from company income.
Each Gov. J.B. Pritzker and State Superintendent Tony Sanders have mentioned extra funding isn’t coming this 12 months.
Past advocating for extra state funding, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration additionally inspired the Board of Schooling to take out a short-term mortgage to cowl extra prices, which the board and CPS have rebuffed for now.
Requested not too long ago if the district might nonetheless take out such a mortgage, Board President Jianan Shi mentioned “all the things is on the desk,” declining to elaborate additional.
In the course of the bargaining session, the lecturers union provided up a number of suggestions past extra state funding on how the district might elevate cash. Other than extra taxes on the rich and suing large banks, additionally they steered in search of extra federal funding and taxing large tech firms “profiting off our college students’ and households’ personal knowledge.”
District officers mentioned they wish to advocate for extra state funding, together with to totally cowl prices of preschool applications and instructor pensions. The state’s fundamental funding system already accounts for the truth that the district pays for its personal lecturers’ pensions.
Reema Amin is a reporter protecting Chicago Public Colleges. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.
