CPS Proposes Amended School Calendar and Budget For 2019-20 School Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, November 5, 2019

CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools today announced amended calendar and budget proposals for the 2019-20 school year, which add make-up school days and reflect additional revenue and investments for Fiscal Year 2020. Last week, CPS agreed to make up five of the 11 school days missed due to the teachers’ strike, and families are being notified today of the amended calendar and budget plan.

“Schools throughout Chicago have picked up where they left off prior to the strike and are working to build on the progress that has made CPS one of the top big city school districts in the country,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “Today, we are proposing an updated calendar and budget that will ensure we make the most of this school year and prepare all of our students for success.”

Amended Calendar Includes Five New Student Attendance Days

As part of the agreement to end the CTU strike, CPS committed to making up five of the 11 instructional days that were missed during the strike. The make-up days must be scheduled on days on which teachers and CTU staff would not otherwise be paid, which severely limited the district’s scheduling options. The following proposed make-up days are spaced over a series of dates during the school year that were not previously scheduled as student attendance days and a small number of additional school dates at the end of the school year:

• Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019
• Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020
• Friday, Jan. 3, 2020
• Wednesday, June 17, 2020 (previously scheduled as a School Improvement Day for staff, which has been moved to June 19)
• Thursday, June 18, 2020 (previously scheduled as a School Improvement Day for staff, which has been moved to June 22)

“We understand that modifications to the school calendar can create real challenges for our families, and we have worked to add make-up days in a manner that prioritizes student learning and minimizes disruption to the fullest extent possible,” said CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya D. McDade. “Care was taken to schedule multiple days in advance of key academic milestones, including spring AP exams, while also preserving as many scheduled breaks as possible and not extending class beyond the final week of the school year. We believe this proposed calendar effectively manages those challenges and reflects the best compromise for our families.”

Amended Budget Includes Additional Revenue from the City and Funding to Support Investments in Labor Contracts

CPS today released a proposed amendment to the FY2020 budget to account for new investments and salary increases made as part of the CTU and SEIU Local 73 contracts, as well as additional revenue from the City of Chicago and spending adjustments that occurred as a result of the 11-day CTU strike.

The amended budget includes a total of $7.84 billion in revenue and expenses and utilizes the following additional revenue and cost savings to support additional investment:

• $68 million in reduced spending attributable to the six school days cancelled due to the strike that will not be made up
• $66 million in additional TIF surplus from the City of Chicago on top of the $97 million included in the approved budget

The additional revenue and cost savings allow CPS to support the following new expenses and revenue reductions in a fully balanced manner:

• $61 million in reduced revenue due to the shift of Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago (MEABF) normal costs from the City to CPS. This shift was presented as part of the City of Chicago’s proposed FY20 budget, and brings CPS into alignment with all other city sister agencies.
• $33 million in additional costs associated with the CTU contract
• $25 million in reduced short term borrowing to promote the district’s financial health
• $15 million in additional costs associated with the SEIU Local 73 contract

In the years ahead, costs associated with the CTU and SEIU contracts will increase at an approximately steady rate and be exceeded by the growth in revenue from existing state and local revenue streams. CPS is committed to fiscal responsibility, and the structure of the district’s labor agreements, combined with the revenue sources that are already in place, will ensure that CPS is able to invest in a manner that promotes the district’s continued financial health.

For additional information on the amended FY20 budget proposal, please visit cps.edu/budget.

Budget Hearings and Board of Education Vote

The amended calendar and budget released today will be voted on by the Board of Education at its meeting on Nov. 20, 2019, the same meeting that the tentative agreements with CTU and SEIU Local 73 will be brought to a vote.

Prior to the Board vote, the Board will hold public hearings on Nov. 12, 2019, from 4-6 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. to collect feedback from members of the community.

Chicago Public Schools serves 361,000 students in 644 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

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