Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson demands “sacrifices” to pay for $1.2 billion school budget gap
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a $982 million budget deficit for 2025 and a $222.9 million shortfall for 2024 in the public school system; he stated that sacrifices would be necessary to address the budget gap, which may lead to mass layoffs and school closures; Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker indicated that the state would not bail out the district; the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is facing contract negotiations after their agreement expired on June 30; CTU President Stacy Davis Gates expressed confusion over the district's finances while acknowledging potential cuts; the Biden administration's end of federal pandemic relief is contributing to a nationwide fiscal crisis in schools; educators are urged to form rank-and-file committees to resist budget cuts and advocate for public education; the school year began with overcrowded classrooms and inadequate COVID-19 safety measures.

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https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/09/02/ceej-s02.html