CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Public Schools has laid off 162 employees as the district works to close a projected budget shortfall of more than $700 million for next year. The move mirrors similar cuts made at this time last year and comes days before CPS is set to introduce its new budget.
Half of the layoffs are from the district’s central office, while the rest affect citywide positions across various departments. CPS said employees were notified of the decision last Friday.
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“These layoffs are not a surprise at all,” said Mailee Smith, vice president of policy and litigation at the Illinois Policy Institute. “They are a symptom of a deeper issue that I think everyone is pretty much honed in on. That there has been increased spending in the district even while enrollment is dropping.”
CPS data shows the district has hired 10,000 new employees since 2019, while enrollment has declined by 45,000 students over the same period.
In a statement, the district called the layoffs “extremely difficult decisions,” adding, “Every employee affected by these reductions has made meaningful contributions to CPS. These decisions do not reflect the value of their service. Rather, they reflect the District’s responsibility to address significant fiscal challenges while preserving investments that most directly support students.”
The upcoming budget will be the first introduced under CPS CEO Dr. Macquline King, who previously served as interim chief. The district’s finances are also expected to be a key issue for candidates running for the Chicago Board of Education. Voters will elect all 21 members for the first time in November.
“We’ll definitely be interested to hear how the candidates feel about the cuts and what their solutions are to this continuing deficit issue that CPS faces year after year,” Smith said.
District officials stressed the cuts don’t directly impact the classroom despite proposing to trim non-school based expenses by another $105 million this year.
Twenty-five of the laid-off employees are members of the Chicago Teachers Union. CTU leaders again argued the cuts would not be necessary if state lawmakers fully funded schools and renewed calls for a special legislative session.
“There’s really no good reason you should be having those cuts over 10 years into the evidence-based funding formula,” said Pavlyn Jankov, CTU’s director of research. “So, schools should actually be thinking about what more resources they could be supplying to students instead of once again dealing with layoffs.”
CPS is expected to released the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 on Wednesday. By law, the district has to hold two public hearings before a vote can be taken.
The budget has to be approved by the end of August. The goal is to vote on it by the next board meeting, which is July 30.
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