The Chicago Teachers Union and its allies on the school board thought they had a promise. A promise from the Speaker of the Illinois House, Chris Welch, that would save jobs and keep schools open. They had the video proof. But now Welch is saying they misunderstood.
The school board had just voted on a budget that would have meant laying off over 700 teachers and more than 800 support staff, about 1,500 people total. That was the plan from Chicago Public Schools, which claimed a massive financial hole. Then, at the last minute, a CTU-backed majority voted down that austere budget and instead passed one that counted on an extra $150 million from the state. money that didn’t actually exist yet.
That $150 million figure came from comments Welch made to union members who had just received layoff notices. The union circulated the video, believing it was a commitment. Welch had said he was fighting for school funding, that he was committed to the struggle. Based on that, the board members aligned with the union voted against the balanced budget and added the phantom state money.
Now Welch has come out to clarify: “I never said I would give you $150 million. How did you think I would give you $150 million? Do you think I just have $150 million laying around? ” He said he was talking generally about his career-long fight for school funding across all districts, not just Chicago, not just CPS, but also the schools in Proviso where he is from.
He never mentioned a specific amount or made a guarantee, he explained to the media. The union, however, remains hopeful. They think Welch, as Speaker, is a smart man who follows the news, who understands the scrutiny on the school budget. They believe he knows what is at stake.
CPS officials say that if the money doesn’t come through, there will be cuts in the middle of the school year, not just layoffs at the beginning. Board members who voted against the union-backed budget called it irresponsible to rely on money that isn’t guaranteed, saying: “To pass our budget, we need to work with what we have, not what we hope will come. “”
The drama has been building for weeks. CPS originally announced crushing cuts to close a $732 million budget gap.
They spoke of layoffs临 over 700 teachers and over 800 teacher assistants. They mentioned a hiring freeze, efficiency improvements, and five unpaid furlough days for teachers. The head of CPS, Dr. Janice Jackson, said they hoped to bring back most of those laid off, doing everything they could to make that happen.
But the Chicago Teachers Union called the budget reckless and unacceptable. Members started posting online that they had already lost their jobs. Teachers of special education, career coaches, even a dance teacher on the West Side, all received termination letters. The union urged Springfield to step in with more funding, saying it was time for the biggest investment of all: fully funding schools and supporting school communities.
All of this comes as CPS is drowning in debt: about $9 billion in long-term obligations. The district’s budget is around $10 billion, but it owes $9 billion. Officials warn that whatever your current tax rate is, it will go up. They say this is happening across the country, not just in Chicago, but the debt is real and it is growing.
People talk about going after millionaires, but the union says the real targets are working families and their children’s education. The school board meeting where they rejected the CPS budget was tense. The vote was 11 to 7 against the proposed budget, with the majority instead approving an amendment that canceled the planned layoffs and the mid-year spending freeze. They did this knowing full well the budget depended on $150 million from the state that has not been allocated.
CPS warned after the vote that this could affect their ability to get short-term financing needed to pay staff next month. Borrowing money costs more money, they said, meaning less would go to classrooms. Some even suggested the vote might have violated state law by passing an unbalanced budget. The bigger question remains: will schools open on time?
Teachers return on August 17th, and students start on August 24th. CPS has been saying they might not have enough money to open schools at all, let alone keep them running all year. The district has been pressuring local and state lawmakers hard, trying to get the funding they need. But some observers, including people watching this unfold, think this is partially a manufactured crisis.
Yes, there are real budget problems, but there’s also political maneuvering. Holding the school year hostage to extract financial concessions from legislators, that’s what it looks like to some.. In the end, most people believe the schools will open. They have to.
It’s unthinkable that they wouldn’t. So lawmakers will find the money somewhere, and it will most likely come from Illinois taxpayers. Whether there will be any accountability for how the district got into this mess,who knows. But at the end of the day, schools must open and function.
That is the bottom line.
