Chicago Public Schools students head back to school as district faces $734M budget deficit

CHICAGO (WGN) — More than 325,000 students in Chicago Public Schools returned to the classroom Monday to begin the 2025-26 academic year — and from new books to new teachers to familiar faces, there’s a lot to be excited about.

The first day of school comes, however, as CPS schools open their doors with smaller custodial staffs as the district faces a $734 million budget deficit.

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 officially kick off the 2025-26 school year for CPS.

“We’re very grateful for today, as we expand sustainable community schools, create more social workers in our classrooms, make sure that we have class sizes that are manageable,” the mayor said.

Over this past weekend, several back-to-school bashes around the city helped families prepare for the new school year.

One event, organized by the Kindness Campaign, took place on the South Side.

“The Kindness Campaign is the community’s response to mobilizing and solving the issues in our own community,” Christopher Watts, Kindness Campaign CEO, said.

Watts says teens in the community, like Iyanna Jones, help come up with ideas for the event.

“A lot of kids my age, they are really not excited to go back to school, but if we hype them up, going back to school is fun,” Jones said. “… We’re just getting them ready for the school year.”

Labor of Love, hosted by ChiGivesBack, has offered free haircuts and styles for students, as well as giveaways, for the last seven years. This year’s event included games, face painting and even a petting zoo.

“We do it for kids. It is important to give back to the community,” Sandi Robinson of ChiGivesBack said. “Kids are starting school (Monday), and they want to go to school feeling fresh and looking fresh and looking good. And we want to send them off the right way — with school supplies, backpacks and fresh haircuts.”

Budget approval looming

While students have been getting prepared for the new schools year, SEIU Local 1 custodians have been protesting the district’s cost-saving measures, in which all part-time custodial roles are being eliminated. Starting Sept. 30, CPS will directly manage its own custodial services.

Seven contracts with private vendors that employ about 1,250 people are being severed, although CPS does intend to hire 750 full-time employees.

Those moves, officials say, will save the district approximately $40 million in annual cuts as it deals with a $734 million budget deficit.

In a statement, CPS said in part:

“Chicago Public School remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting classroom instruction and putting students first … no cut to public education is ever made lightly. Every dollar we save centrally helps protect students, teachers, and classrooms from deeper disruption.”

The Board of Education will host two public hearings about the budget on Tuesday at CPS headquarters in the Loop. The district faces an Aug. 28 deadline to approve a budget.