Chicago Public Schools families mark the start of the 2025-26 school year

CHICAGO (WGN) — The first day of school for over 325,000 Chicago Public Schools students has wrapped up, meaning the 2025-26 school year is officially underway.

Mayor Brandon Johnson greeted students Monday morning at Mary E. Courtenay Language Arts Center in Uptown on the city’s North Side, ringing the bell to kick off the school year.

He and other Chicago Teachers Union officials also made their way to Austin High School, one of 16 newly designed sustainable community schools under the CTU-CPS contract.

The community schools aim to forge strong relationships with nearby organizations and service providers, leveraging better support for kids beyond the traditional school day.

The $1.5 billion CTU-CPS contract, approved in April, ensured students would come back to smaller class sizes, more libraries, and increased access to nurses and counselors.

The contract also called for additional pay for veteran teachers, more teacher assistance and more prep time for teachers. The agreement came after nearly a year of negotiations by the two parties.

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates was among the parents at McCutcheon Elementary School Monday afternoon for first day dismissal.

Parents WGN-TV chatted with found it hard to believe the summer is already over as their little ones marched into school with backpacks on, ready to go.

“It feels surreal because for the longest time, she’s been my baby but now she’s growing up and has to go to school,” Andrea Brackner, whose daughter just started kindergarten, said.

“It gets kind of hard because we get used to summer but for the most part, he’s always excited. He loves school,” Heather Shutk, whose son is going into third grade, said.