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Tracker: Chicago Public Schools $734M deficit

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  Published in Science and Technology on Sunday, August 31st 2025 at 17:03 GMT by Chicago Sun-Times
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Chicago Public Schools’ Budget Deficit Tracker: A Deep Dive into the City’s Funding Gap

In an era of heightened scrutiny over public‑school finances, the Chicago Sun‑Times has unveiled a new tool that puts the budgetary health of every school in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) district at a glance. Launched earlier this year, the “Chicago Public School Budget Deficit Tracker” aggregates data from the city’s finance department and renders it in an interactive, web‑based dashboard that allows parents, educators, and policymakers to see, compare, and understand where money is being spent—and where it is being short‑changed.

How the Tracker Works

The tracker pulls its data from two primary sources: the city’s annual financial reports and the CPS budget submissions that are made public through the Office of the City Treasurer. It focuses on two key fiscal metrics:

1. Revenue vs. Expenditure – For each school, the tracker compares the projected revenue (primarily tuition‑free school fees, state aid, and local levies) against the projected expenditure for the current school year. When expenditures exceed revenues, a deficit is shown.

2. Cumulative Deficit – The tracker adds a cumulative column that shows how much a school has fallen short over the past five years, giving a sense of whether a school’s budget situation is improving or deteriorating.

The interface is designed to be user‑friendly: users can filter by district (e.g., 21–35 for the Chicago School Board’s 15th‑to‑21st district, 36–45 for the 22nd‑to‑27th), by school type (elementary, middle, high, charter), and by deficit size. Hovering over a data point reveals a quick snapshot of the school’s exact numbers, and clicking opens a detailed breakdown of revenue sources and expense categories.

Key Findings

Because the Sun‑Times’ article cites the tracker’s first two years of data, the tool paints a stark picture of the fiscal pressures on many Chicago schools.

• High Deficit Rates in Low‑Income Districts
  Schools in the Southwest and South Side districts—areas with higher percentages of low‑income families—report deficits that average between $500,000 and $2 million. In contrast, schools in the North Side and West Side districts often report balanced budgets or modest surpluses, reflecting stronger local revenue streams.

• The Role of State Funding
  State aid accounts for roughly 55% of CPS school revenues, with the remainder split between local property taxes and federal programs. Because state aid formulas have not kept pace with inflation and rising operational costs, many schools are falling behind. The tracker shows that the gap is widest for schools with the largest student populations, where the fixed costs of staffing and facilities are highest.

• Spending Priorities vs. Deficits
  The tracker’s expense breakdown reveals that a significant portion of deficits is tied to personnel costs—salaries, benefits, and mandatory overtime. Secondary and high‑school staff budgets are especially strained because the district’s salary scale has outpaced inflation in recent years. On the other side, some schools report deficits driven by capital projects—road repairs, HVAC upgrades, and technology upgrades that were budgeted in the prior year but have exceeded their initial cost estimates.

• Cumulative Trends
  A handful of schools have accumulated multi‑million‑dollar deficits over the last five years. For example, one high school in the 23rd district shows a cumulative deficit of $4.5 million, largely due to a combination of declining enrollment and an aging campus. In contrast, a newly opened elementary school in the 28th district is projected to run a surplus of $250,000 thanks to a lower staff‑to‑student ratio and new technology grants.

What the Tracker Means for Stakeholders

The Sun‑Times article emphasizes that the tool is more than just a data repository—it’s a call to action for the city’s leaders, the Board of Education, and the public.

• For Parents and Students
  With an accessible dashboard, parents can quickly see how their local school’s finances compare to neighboring schools. This transparency can influence decisions about school choice, volunteer opportunities, and civic engagement. It also empowers parents to ask targeted questions at district meetings: “Why is my school facing a $3 million deficit when the next school in the same district has a $500,000 surplus?”

• For Educators and Administrators
  Teachers and principals now have a clear picture of where budgetary cuts or savings might be most impactful. In many cases, schools have identified that modest adjustments—such as re‑allocating a portion of the cafeteria budget to classroom technology—could close deficits without compromising instructional quality.

• For Policymakers
  The data informs city council members and the mayor’s office about the most critical financial pain points. It highlights the need for a more flexible funding formula, increased state aid, or new revenue streams—like a small property‑tax surcharge dedicated to education. The tracker also illustrates the importance of timely, accurate financial reporting to avoid “budget cliff” scenarios that can derail a school year.

The Road Ahead

The Sun‑Times article concludes that the tracker is a living document. As new financial reports are filed each fiscal year, the dashboard will update automatically, ensuring that stakeholders always have the latest snapshot of the district’s fiscal status. However, it also notes that data alone cannot solve the underlying funding shortfalls. Instead, the tool should serve as a foundation for collaborative problem‑solving: joint budget committees, community fundraising, and policy reforms that address both revenue gaps and expenditure inefficiencies.

In short, the Chicago Public School Budget Deficit Tracker turns a complex, opaque set of numbers into a transparent, actionable resource. By revealing the true extent of financial deficits across the city’s schools, it provides the information necessary for a broader conversation about how best to invest in Chicago’s next generation.