CPS Budget Release

​April 17, 2018
Dear Parents / LSC members,
Today, we are excited to announce that we have provided principals with their school budgets for the 2018-19 school
year. To build on the record-seIng educaJonal progress that has earned CPS schools naJonal recogniJon, the
District is invesJng $3.1 billion in school funding, an increase of more than $60 million compared to the current
school year.
Thanks to the parents, educators, and courageous elected officials who worked to pass historic educaJon funding
reform passed last August, we have stabilized our finances and are able to make significant investments that will
conJnue to raise the bar for academic excellence.
Here’s what that means for our schools:
First, the funding principals receive for each student in their school will increase by 2.5 percent so that schools can
support high quality academic programming and higher teacher salaries.
Second, we are invesJng in neighborhood schools by expanding access to InternaJonal Baccalaureate, STEM, Magnet
and Classical schools for more than 5,000 students. Specifically:
● Over 1,800 addiJonal students will have access to proven IB programs, on top of the more than 16,000
students who already make CPS the naJon’s largest IB network;
● Nearly 2,100 addiJonal students will be able to engage with the advanced coursework and professional
exposure provided through new Early College STEM programs, building on the five current Early College
STEM schools that serve over 3,800 students;
● Nearly 1,000 addiJonal students will have access to STEM Magnet programming, building on the over 6,600
students who currently benefit from these programs; and
● To meet demand for rigorous Classical elementary schools, we are creaJng two new Classical schools. With
the addiJon of these schools, CPS will be able to provide more than 2,600 students with access to a Classical
school in 2018-19.
Third, in addiJon to invesJng in high-quality academics throughout Chicago, school budgets for the upcoming school
year include expanded supports for our at-risk students. An addiJonal $​14 million is being provided to support
students from low-income households, and $10 million will be used to ensure schools with low enrollment can offer
students a rich academic experience. Plus, we are creaJng a team of postsecondary counselors to support 7,000 high
school students in high needs schools as they plan for a successful life following graduaJon.
And finally, for the first Jme in recent memory, we can guarantee that the funding your principal receives today will
not decrease in the fall — even if enrollment declines. This means they can plan with confidence and families can
take comfort in knowing who will be teaching their children next year.

While the key investments announced today will accelerate the district’s unprecedented academic success, they only
represent the first part of the FY19 budget process. We look forward to releasing a full operaJng budget in the
coming months that not only outlines all of our funding prioriJes for the coming school year, but also promotes
long-term financial stability for the district.
Sincerely,

Janice K. Jackson, EdD
Chief ExecuJve Officer
Chicago Public Schools