CPS lays off 160 employees, cuts 200 vacant positions amid budget crisis

CHICAGO (WGN) — Hundreds of Chicago Public Schools employees will not have a job to go back to at the end of the summer.

The school district announced on Friday that over 160 employees are losing their jobs. An additional 200 vacant positions are being eliminated as CPS tries to close a budget deficit — one even larger than the $529 million deficit previously reported.

“I have been briefed on the budget in detail with our team, and the total funding required to cover all CPS expenses is $730 million,” Interim CEO of CPS, Dr. Macquline King, said.

CPS says the cuts include:

• 67 employees from the school district’s central and network offices
• Seven employees with the Chicago Teacher’s Union
• 87 SEIU Local 73 members, nearly all of whom are crossing guards

In what CPS is calling “cost-saving” measures, WGN-TV is told no employees assigned to schools were laid off.

Union partners and employees impacted were notified throughout the week.

Hours ahead of a CPS board meeting on Thursday, union members rallied to prevent mass layoffs.

“How can they get to school safely if there are no crossing guards out there to get them back and forth to school,” Doris Alexander, a CPS crossing guard, said at the meeting.

“I’m saying to them, it is up to you to make the decision to stand by these workers who have stood by Chicago, who have stood by the school system, who have stood by the students. Do the right thing by these workers,” Dian Palmer, President of SEIU Local 73, said at the meeting.

Several board members brought up the potential cuts at the meeting — and appeared aligned on the issue.

“So, when the times are getting hard, it’s not time to talk about cuts, it’s not time to talk about layoffs, it’s time to talk about revenue strategies,” CPS board member Michilla Blaise said at the meeting.

Dr. King says the district is committed to transparency and fiscal responsibility as it works to address these challenges, while also continuing to prioritize student learning.

“Every decision we make must center our young people from early literacy to post-secondary success, from safe school environments to culturally responsive teaching,” Dr. King said. “We must keep students at the heart of all that we do, and every decision we make.”

CPS says the layoffs were separate from school-based staffing adjustments, which will take place in July. In other words, there could be more people at risk of losing their jobs this summer.