Budget & finance

Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said the district’s new budget formula is an “important milestone.” But at some schools, parent and educator concerns are starting to percolate.

The information shared by officials provided more details about the district's switch to a new position-based budget formula next school year.

Every school will have certain guaranteed staff, including an assistant principal, a counselor, and core classroom teachers, under a new funding formula officials plan to use starting next school year.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said his plan to increase early education spending would put the state on track to have universal pre-K by 2027.

As federal COVID funds run out, the district is grappling with how to pay for universal preschool going forward.

Illinois superintendent’s budget proposal falls short of what advocates want.

With COVID relief funds set to end and modest increases in local revenue, the Illinois education budget likely won’t see major increases in the upcoming years.

Districts across the nation, including Chicago, have been bracing for financial challenges as their pandemic relief dollars run out.

The mayor’s spending plan builds on his campaign platform that was embraced by the Chicago Teachers Union.

With the deadline to spend federal COVID money coming in September 2024, educators, advocates, and lobbyists urged the state to add more funding for schools in the 2025 budget.

The district is seeking a total of $14.4 billion for updates ranging from new roofs and windows to special classrooms.

Preliminary data analyzed by Chalkbeat shows just over 322,000 students were enrolled as of the 20th day of school, when the district takes an official count. The stable number comes after a decade of dramatic annual declines.

The shift raises questions about who schools are serving, how they should be resourced, and what the district — and the city — can do as it continues to lose students.

Illinois lawmakers and school officials want the state to increase funding for school meals to provide meals for all students regardless of income.

The issues include the city’s precarious funding situation, enrollment shifts, and what support will look like for migrant students.

Due to a drop in low-income student enrollment and an increase in local property values, the district could continue to get a smaller share of new state dollars.

The invitation to discuss the budget comes as Johnson tries to involve young people in government decision making. 

The budget will allocate roughly $4.8 billion directly to schools. District officials say more money will go to bilingual education and staffing positions that work with students with disabilities.

From increasing early childhood education funding to changing how literacy is taught in schools, Illinois lawmakers passed a number of education bills. Here are some that passed and those that didn’t.