By Lina Chen
With the new per pupil budgeting system, many CPS neighborhood public schools or small sized schools are seeing a deficiency in the amount of
funding they’ll receive, which CTU (Chicago Teacher’s Union) members argue will take away the quality of a student’s education. According to CPS, the new program was made to ensure equity and since every student is given the same value, things are fair. However, they miscalculated the spendings that schools need in order to keep the quality of their school’s education as high as possible. Right now, it has been announced that “ schools get about
$4,400 for each student in Kindergarten through 3rd grade; $4,100 for 4th through 8th grade; and $5,100 for high school students” (Schulte 1) but
these rates are “significantly lower than charters’ previous per pupil rates of $6,070 per elementary student and $7,587 per high school student”
(Vevea 1). Plus, small neighborhood schools and other schools all across the city will be experiencing further cuts up from 10% to 20%. This would force principals, who decides where to spend the funds, to make harsh decisions of either cutting classes, cutting veteran teachers, or hiring novice teachers. Some principals would rather cut extra-curricular or art classes than firing a teacher. Whether the principals decide to cut teachers or classes, it creates inequity in the student's education.
The insufficiency of the funds given per student puts principals in an impossible position while trying to figure out what should be cut and what should
not. The CTU and parents foresee the damaging results of per student funding and proposed a solution which seems to be simple; add more money to the amount given to each student. However, CPS is “facing a reported $1 billion budget deficit” (Fortino 1) and have to pay pension payments for the
2014 school year. A proposal to fix this problem, brought up by Raise Your Hand, proposed CPS to cut central office spendings and to institute a tax
reform for a more equitable educational spending. Themost important part is to raise the budget schools get to avoid huge changes in classroom size
or anything that affects the students’ education.
Sources:
Cox, Ted . "CPS Per-Pupil Funding Should Be Increased, Parents Say." DNAinfo Chicago. N.p., 26 Feb. 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140226/downtown/cps-per-pupil-funding-should-be-increased-parents-say>.
Fortino, Ellyn . "Progress Illinois." CPS' Per-Student Budgets Will Exacerbate School Inequality, Education Experts Say. N.p., 14 June 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2013/06/14/cps-student-budgets-will-exacerbate-school-inequality-education-expert>.
Schulte , Sarah. "CPS moves to student-based budgeting." Chicago Public Schools moves to student-based budgeting. N.p., 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?id=9259040>.
Vevea , Becky . "WBEZ 91.5 Chicago."Principals at Chicago Public Schools given more flexibility, less money in budgets. N.p., 6 June 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.wbez.org/news/chicago-principals-get-more-flexibility-likely-less-money-budget-107560>.
With the new per pupil budgeting system, many CPS neighborhood public schools or small sized schools are seeing a deficiency in the amount of
funding they’ll receive, which CTU (Chicago Teacher’s Union) members argue will take away the quality of a student’s education. According to CPS, the new program was made to ensure equity and since every student is given the same value, things are fair. However, they miscalculated the spendings that schools need in order to keep the quality of their school’s education as high as possible. Right now, it has been announced that “ schools get about
$4,400 for each student in Kindergarten through 3rd grade; $4,100 for 4th through 8th grade; and $5,100 for high school students” (Schulte 1) but
these rates are “significantly lower than charters’ previous per pupil rates of $6,070 per elementary student and $7,587 per high school student”
(Vevea 1). Plus, small neighborhood schools and other schools all across the city will be experiencing further cuts up from 10% to 20%. This would force principals, who decides where to spend the funds, to make harsh decisions of either cutting classes, cutting veteran teachers, or hiring novice teachers. Some principals would rather cut extra-curricular or art classes than firing a teacher. Whether the principals decide to cut teachers or classes, it creates inequity in the student's education.
The insufficiency of the funds given per student puts principals in an impossible position while trying to figure out what should be cut and what should
not. The CTU and parents foresee the damaging results of per student funding and proposed a solution which seems to be simple; add more money to the amount given to each student. However, CPS is “facing a reported $1 billion budget deficit” (Fortino 1) and have to pay pension payments for the
2014 school year. A proposal to fix this problem, brought up by Raise Your Hand, proposed CPS to cut central office spendings and to institute a tax
reform for a more equitable educational spending. Themost important part is to raise the budget schools get to avoid huge changes in classroom size
or anything that affects the students’ education.
Sources:
Cox, Ted . "CPS Per-Pupil Funding Should Be Increased, Parents Say." DNAinfo Chicago. N.p., 26 Feb. 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140226/downtown/cps-per-pupil-funding-should-be-increased-parents-say>.
Fortino, Ellyn . "Progress Illinois." CPS' Per-Student Budgets Will Exacerbate School Inequality, Education Experts Say. N.p., 14 June 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2013/06/14/cps-student-budgets-will-exacerbate-school-inequality-education-expert>.
Schulte , Sarah. "CPS moves to student-based budgeting." Chicago Public Schools moves to student-based budgeting. N.p., 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?id=9259040>.
Vevea , Becky . "WBEZ 91.5 Chicago."Principals at Chicago Public Schools given more flexibility, less money in budgets. N.p., 6 June 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.wbez.org/news/chicago-principals-get-more-flexibility-likely-less-money-budget-107560>.