Chicago Public Schools is laying off more than 1,400 school employees ahead of the upcoming academic year, including 432 teachers and 677 special education classroom assistants.
The district announced the cuts Friday, describing them as part of its regular budget and staffing process. Each summer, CPS adjusts school-level positions based on enrollment and funding.
Friday’s layoffs follow another round of cuts announced July 1, when the district laid off 161 employees. That group included 87 workers represented by SEIU Local 73 — nearly all of them crossing guards — along with 67 employees in the district’s central and network offices, and seven represented by the Chicago Teachers Union.
What’s unclear this year is how the district’s projected $734 million budget shortfall will affect the usual rehiring process. In past years, more than 80% of laid-off staff were able to find new roles within CPS before the school year started.
The district did not say whether that track record will hold under the current financial strain.
When The Chicago Defender interviewed Interim CPS CEO Dr. Macquline King, she acknowledged the uncertainty ahead. “Everything is on the table,” King said. “Unfortunately, there may be additional layoffs. We’re trying to protect the classrooms, first and foremost.”
