Unions, educators and parents press board to restore staff and avoid furloughs

Labor leaders and community members used the board's public participation period to press the Board of Education to protect staff and programs threatened by the FY27 budget.

CTU President Stacey Davis Gates said teachers have been out of work and called on the board to assume a coalition across city and state to protect schools. "If teachers are not in the building, class sizes are gonna go up. It is just the math I understand," she said. SEIU Local 73 President Diane Palmer told the board the revised budget added $85 million in TIF surplus funds and removed furlough days, and urged a yes vote on the revised plan to avoid furloughs.

Speakers enumerated impacts they expect from staffing cuts: larger class sizes, eliminated arts programs, unmet special education needs, and higher caseloads for clinicians. Several lunchtime and food service workers emphasized that many CPS food service employees struggle to pay rent and rely on food pantries; Unite Here Local 1 urged the board not to approve a budget that fails to raise their wages.

Educators testified that eliminating more than 1,600 position closures and rescinding layoffs should be a priority; teachers and principals described specific classroom consequences and urged the board to pursue every revenue source before making position cuts. Public commenters also called for a special session in Springfield and for the city to declare additional TIF surplus distributions.