Introduction to the CPS Budget Standoff
Feeling the crunch ahead of a pivotal Board of Education vote Thursday on the Chicago Public Schools budget dispute, Mayor Brandon Johnson is summoning key players to his office Wednesday to try to work out a solution.
The Meeting
The mayor’s office confirmed Johnson is set to meet with school board President Sean Harden, CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates and Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), chair of the City Council’s Budget Committee.
Objective of the Meeting
Johnson is looking to shepherd a compromise between the school district, school board and teachers union that could avoid a failed board vote while also averting a teachers strike.
Statement from the Mayor’s Office
“The purpose of the meeting is to bring together the city, the union, the board and CPS leadership to resolve the remaining issues in collective bargaining and other related financial issues,” a mayor’s office spokesman said in a statement. “Mayor Johnson believes that averting a work stoppage is in the best interest of all Chicagoans and his hope is that he can help find a compromise that is suitable to all parties involved.”
The Dispute
The showdown is coming to a head over whether CPS should reimburse City Hall for a pension payment that covers non-teacher district staff to the tune of $175 million. The city’s 2024 budget counted on that money from the district. The mayor’s office needs the school board to agree to that payment this week in order to close last year’s books in the black.
Position of CPS CEO
Martinez, however, has said CPS can’t afford to make that payment while also settling contracts with the CTU and a new principals union. An additional $240 million would be needed for CPS to pay for all three. So Martinez has pushed the school board to reject a late-year budget amendment that proposes using new borrowing or debt refinancing to cover all those costs. Instead, he is urging them to use the available funds to pay for the labor contracts — spurning Johnson once again after refusing to put the pension payment into the original CPS budget last summer.
CTU’s Stance
The CTU, meanwhile, in the final stages of contract negotiations with CPS, accuses Martinez’s administration of blocking a deal.
Available Options
Jill Jaworski, Chicago’s chief financial officer, made the case to the school board last week and in a news conference this week that several options are available for CPS to find the necessary money.
Expected Outcome of the Meeting
But with all ideas so far shot down by one party or another, the mayor is expected to present a new solution at Wednesday’s meeting, a mayoral aide said. Details of that plan remained unclear.
Upcoming Board of Education Meeting
If he can’t find a solution, Johnson is at risk of Thursday’s Board of Education meeting ending in failure.
Votes at the Board of Education Meeting
The board will vote on an intergovernmental agreement that would see it agree to make the $175 million pension payment. That needs a simple majority to pass.
Another vote will ask the board whether to amend CPS’ budget for this school year to take on more debt, refinance existing debt or come up with a different solution to pay all the costs. That amendment, however, needs two-thirds approval, and its prospects for passing are uncertain, with a few members remaining on the fence. Harden, the board president appointed by Johnson, votes only when needed to break ties, so the amendment needs 14 of 20 votes in favor.
Exclusion from the Meeting
Wednesday’s meeting to broker a compromise conspicuously left out Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th), Johnson’s hand-picked chair of the Council’s Education Committee. She said she “absolutely” should have been invited to the City Hall meeting. But she wasn’t and thinks she knows why.
“They know who I am. I have honesty and I work on ethics. Everybody else doesn’t,” said Taylor, an ally who has not hesitated to criticize the mayor.
“Whatever is going on with this [teachers’] contract that they feel like they shouldn’t include me, that’s just the way it is,” she said. “That’s not on Alderwoman Taylor. That’s on the mayor’s office and the administration. … I don’t go where I ain’t invited.”
Conclusion
The meeting called by Mayor Johnson is a critical step towards resolving the CPS budget standoff. With the Board of Education meeting looming, finding a compromise that satisfies all parties is crucial to avoiding a failed vote and a potential teachers strike. The exclusion of Ald. Jeanette Taylor from the meeting raises questions about the dynamics at play, but the focus remains on finding a solution that works for everyone involved.
FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of the meeting called by Mayor Johnson?
A: The meeting aims to bring together key players to resolve the remaining issues in collective bargaining and related financial issues, and to find a compromise that suits all parties involved.
Q: What is the main dispute between CPS and the city?
A: The dispute is over whether CPS should reimburse City Hall for a $175 million pension payment that covers non-teacher district staff.
Q: What are the potential consequences if a solution is not found?
A: If a solution is not found, the Board of Education meeting may end in failure, and there is a risk of a teachers strike.
Q: Who is excluded from the meeting?
A: Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th), the chair of the Council’s Education Committee, is excluded from the meeting.
Q: What is the significance of the Board of Education meeting?
A: The meeting will vote on an intergovernmental agreement and a budget amendment that are crucial to resolving the CPS budget standoff.
