Chicago Public Schools is the third largest school district in the country. Making sure every student, parent and educator has a voice is a tall order โ and one that CPS is hoping to fulfill.
The district is working to improve its outcomes after pandemic-induced learning losses, drops in enrollment and aging facilities. In 2024, its graduation rates were on the rise and a new Five Year Strategic Plan is in the works.
Hereโs a breakdown on everything parents should know about Chicago Public Schools.
1. Overview of Chicago Public Schools
Phone number: 773-553-1000
- Number of schools: 634 (includes district-run charter schools, contract and SAFE schools)
- Number of students: 323,251
- Pupil to teacher ratio: 18.5:1 for elementary students and 19.9:1 for high school students
- Operating Expense Per Pupil (OEPP): $25,458
- Quick links: School calendar, enrollment information
- Claim to fame: With an operating budget of more than $9 billion and roughly 41,000 employees, Chicago Public Schools is one of the largest districts in the country. The school system faces fiscal challenges after COVID relief dollars have dried up, despite a historic increase in funding. Now, the district is enacting a Five Year Strategic Plan with new methods to support students and educators.
2. Increasing bus transportation
Chicago Public Schools is ramping up its efforts to make sure every student who needs a ride to school has access to transportation.ย
The district is rolling out a new system for busing where some schools will become โtransportation hubs,โ reports Chalkbeat Chicago. The move comes after district wide discussions of the need for better bus transportation.ย
While the district has added over 100 drivers in the last two years, district leadership still estimates it would need roughly 1,300 to meet the needs of all students, reports Chalkbeat.ย
3. Chicago Teachers Union pushing for moreย
The Chicago Teachers Union is pushing the district to meet its demands on class sizes, teacher pay and more.ย
The union has asked for more funding for bilingual education, students with disabilities, libraries and librarians for all schools, more sports programming, a salary increase to address inflation and veteran educators and enforceable class size limits.ย
Negotiations are still underway, as the district has responded by saying it doesn’t have the money to fund the unionโs demands (although the union refutes this).ย
4. Changes to the school board
In a historic move, all seven members of the Chicago Public Schools school board resigned in October. The board, which is appointed by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, has been replaced.ย
The district explained the change as a way to provide an easier transition for the school board as they move from a seven person board to a 21 person board with some elected members. However, the dramatic departures for the school board members came as escalating tensions surrounding the CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and the mayor became more intense, reports Chalkbeat Chicago. The mayor-appointed school board has the power to fire Martinez.ย
5. Confronting financial challenges
As federal COVID relief dollars dry up, Chicago Public Schools face a half a billion dollar deficit.
โWithout a significant increase in revenue, our five-year financial outlook shows CPS facing budget deficits of at least half a billion dollars per year,โ says the district in its 2025 proposed budget book. โThis would obviously have a devastating effect on our ability to provide students with the education they need to continue their recovery from the pandemic and be fully prepared to succeed in college, career, and civic life.โ
The budget does not include raises for teachers, a contentious issue that has left the teachers union without a contract since June.ย
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