CPS Communication - School Budget Update

Dear Parents / LSC members,
Today, we are excited to announce that we have provided principals with their school budgets for the 2018-19 school year. To build on the record-seIng educational progress that has earned CPS schools national recognition, the District is investing $3.1 billion in school funding, an increase of more than $60 million compared to the current school year.

Thanks to the parents, educators, and courageous elected officials who worked to pass historic education funding reform passed last August, we have stabilized our finances and are able to make significant investments that will continue to raise the bar for academic excellence.

Here’s what that means for our schools:
First, the funding principals receive for each student in their school will increase by 2.5 percent so that schools can support high quality academic programming and higher teacher salaries.

Second, we are investing in neighborhood schools by expanding access to International Baccalaureate, STEM, Magnet and Classical schools for more than 5,000 students. Specifically:

• Over 1,800 additional students will have access to proven IB programs, on top of the more than 16,000 students who already make CPS the nation’s largest IB network;
• Nearly 2,100 additional students will be able to engage with the advanced coursework and professional exposure provided through new Early College STEM programs, building on the five current Early College STEM schools that serve over 3,800 students;
• Nearly 1,000 additional students will have access to STEM Magnet programming, building on the over 6,600 students who currently benefit from these programs; and
• To meet demand for rigorous Classical elementary schools, we are creating two new Classical schools. With the addition of these schools, CPS will be able to provide more than 2,600 students with access to a Classical school in 2018-19.

Third, in addition to investing in high-quality academics throughout Chicago, school budgets for the upcoming school year include expanded supports for ourat-riskstudents. An additional $1 4 million is being provided to support students from low-income households, and $10 million will be used to ensure schools with low enrollment can offer students a rich academic experience. Plus, we are creative ng a team of postsecondary counselors to support 7,000 high school students in high needs schools as they plan for a successful life following graduation. ​

And finally, for the first time in recent memory, we can guarantee that the funding your principal receives today will not decrease in the fall — even if enrollment declines. This means they can plan with confidence and families can take comfort in knowing who will be teaching their children next year.

While the key investments announced today will accelerate the district’s unprecedented academic success, they only represent the first part of the FY19 budget process. We look forward to releasing a full operating budget in the coming months that not only outlines all of our funding priorities for the coming school year, but also promotes long-term financial stability for the district.

Sincerely,
Janice K. Jackson, EdD
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago Public Schools

Documents
CPS School Budget Update letter in Spanish and English