South Loop School hosts announcement of CPS cuts

Emanuel and new CPS chief ditching janitors, buses

06/02/2011 5:32 PM

By Ben Meyerson
Editor

3 Comments - Add Your Comment


Mayor Rahm Emanuel and new Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard toured a classroom at South Loop School Thursday morning after announcing $75 million in cuts at the district.
BEN MEYERSON/Staff

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and new schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard announced cuts to the Chicago Public Schools Thursday morning during a press conference at South Loop School.

Most of the cuts hit at CPS headquarters, slicing positions in the central office and leaving retirees’ positions vacant. Other changes don’t directly affect the classroom, such as no longer having janitors clean unused space in schools, and cutting the size of the school bus fleet.

The cuts, Emanuel and Brizard said, total about $75 million in savings. The school system still has a $720 million deficit for the coming year, and the state of Illinois owes roughly $300 to CPS, Emanuel said.

“In tackling the CPS budget deficit, we will begin by cutting bureaucracy so that we can focus our resources on supporting students and teachers,” Emanuel said in a statement.

Afterward, Emanuel and Brizard visited a classroom and greeted South Loop School students individually before leaving.


3 Comments - Add Your Comment



By John from Dearborn Park
Posted: 06/17/2011 4:01 PM

South Loop School is so over crowed, the south loop needs something to happen with the Teacher Academy? Where are all these kids going to go to school?


By Lesley from Near South Side
Posted: 06/15/2011 1:07 PM

Schools are an important focus for the area, but the money should be focused wisely.


By here4ever from South Loop
Posted: 06/10/2011 11:46 AM

what is it with that place and press conferences? That is where Blagojevich uttered his famous "testicular varility" comment. Now this. I dont get it. It may provide a nice visual from the outside, but inside the place looks like a dump. What gives, especially after all the private donations?