FOOD FOR THOUGHT (Don't get indigestion)

Normally, by now, we would have seen or heard about a draft CPS operating budget. By law, CPS has to have a budget in place by August. There is no 2014 budget available, and CPS is not sharing much information. The situation is made worse by the fact that they are in court defending discrimination cases alleging that Black children and children with disabilities are harmed more than others in closing 50 schools. CPS has to show they have a financial reason for the school closings. The FY 2012 and FY 2013 budgets are outlined below. Chicago Public Schools 2012 and 2013 Budget (Source: Chicago Public Schools)
Account Salary Benefits Contracts Commodities Equipment Transportation Contingencies Grand Total FY 2012 Adopted Budget 2,711,627,094 871,982,054 945,196,829 330,988,163 33,881,299 110,253,631 106,280,930 5,110,210,000 FY 2012 Ending Budget 2,719,698,180 865,579,450 1,000,889,134 348,068,724 43,927,952 117,210,993 14,829,868 5,110,204,300 FY 2012 Expenditures 2,615,836,901 877,944,631 909,785,525 281,590,829 34,961,171 111,194,217 31,670 4,831,344,944 FY 2013 Amended Budget 2,655,690,797 899,548,125 982,520,005 346,211,422 47,835,583 121,608,512 178,807,287 5,232,221,731

Note: FY 2012 Ending Budget and Expenditures are as of 6/24/2012.

Did you notice that budgeted salary expenses have decreased for FY2013 (Amended) compared to budgeted FY2012--in spite of the fact that there are more teachers and CTU negotiated a salary increase for its members at the beginning of 2013? Yet, CPS blamed the so called billion dollar deficit on the teachers strike and contract negotiations. Mayor Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools lobbied the State Legislature for things like a longer school day, school closings and equal funding for charters and public schools. They have not lobbied for a fundamental change in the way the state funds education. Nor did they lobby for more money from Springfield for our schools. They did not ask the Legislature to reduce the size of the CPS contribution to the teachers' pension fund until May, 2013--too little too late. Now CPS is projecting a $1 billion budget deficit for 2014 and is blaming the Legislature. Did you know that almost every year, CPS claims a budget deficit, but ends up with a surplus? CPS has laid off over 2,000 employees last week (July 19, 2013), over half of which are teachers. This on top of the 1,000 employees let go due to school closures in June, 2013. They tripled the size of the Teach for America contract, from $600 thousand to $1.5 million. The money would be used to refer and support up to 325 provisionally-certified first-year teacher-interns to Chicago Public Schools and support up to 245 second-year teacher-interns at a total cost for the option period not to exceed $1,587,500.00 (for a total of 570 teachers). Chicago's TIF funds together have about $457 million that is not tied to any development project (Cook County Clerk David Orr). It is sitting there, collecting interest, while the CPS board is prepared to raise taxes to the highest levels and then lobby Springfield to increase the limit. CPS has yet to declare a TIF surplus. If they do, about half of the surplus funds ($229 million) could be returned to CPS and reduce the amount owed on pensions. Mayor Rahm Emanuel will use $55 million in TIF funds to help build a basketball arena for DePaul University at a time when public schools across the city are losing teachers and support staff. Tens of thousands of dollars in TIF funds are being used to help build Divvy bike-sharing stations. (Alderman Waguespack)

Fact Sheet compiled by Valerie F. Leonard