Chicago Public Schools Job Cuts: Positions, Including Crossing Guards, Reduced to Address $734 Million Budget Deficit

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Public Schools faces a huge deficit that must be closed this summer.

Layoffs were announced late Friday, but the question is, are more coming?

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Approximately 600 crossing guards work for CPS, and nearly 90 are facing layoffs. Additionally, around 20 guard positions remain unfilled. This measure aims to reduce expenses as part of efforts to bridge a $730 million budget gap.

“The district has previously managed its budget challenges at the expense of its lowest-paid employees, such as support staff,” stated SEIU Local 73 Executive VP Stacia Scott Kennedy. “We are optimistic that this approach won’t continue in the future.”

SEIU Local 73 represents both crossing guards and special education classroom assistants. Altogether, CPS has laid off 161 workers, with several cuts occurring at the district’s central office. However, no school-based staff were affected by these layoffs.

“Schools don’t want to see cuts, especially, especially laying off staff, like right before the new school year starts. That is still a possibility, though, given the size of the budget deficit,” said Reema Amin with Chalkbeat Chicago.

Closing a $730 million budget gap falls on the lap of the district’s new interim CEO Macquline King. Previously, she worked in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration.

To avoid classroom cuts, the mayor and the Chicago Teachers Union have been pushing for a high-interest short-term loan. Education experts call it the toughest budget situation CPS has seen in years.

“Major deficit, no signs of like, for sure, revenue coming their way. So, there’s going to be, I think there’s going to be a lot of hard decisions to be made,” Amin said.

They are hard decisions that experts say will likely hit the classroom. Unions have continued to call for more money from the state and more Tax Increment Financing money from the city. Until then, SEIU will fight to keep crossing guards, positions they say are needed.

“I think that’s a misnomer to think that just anybody could be a crossing guard,” Kennedy said. “Crossing guards are out there in extreme weather. They are standing in Chicago’s traffic, and they build relationships with a lot of the community. “

CPS does not have a lot of time. State law requires the district to balance its budget 60 days after the start of its fiscal year, which is July 1. School starts on Aug. 18.