Governor J.B. Pritzker rejects Mayor Brandon Johnson’s claim for $1.1 billion in state aid for Chicago Public Schools, arguing that the true cost to fully fund the district is lower and that it’s not the state’s job to cover local financial mistakes.
Pritzker Disputes Chicago’s $1.1 Billion School Aid Claim, Citing Lower Funding Needs
According to the report of the Chicago Sun-Times, Governor J.B. Pritzker is rejecting Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson‘s claim that the state owes Chicago Public Schools (CPS) $1.1 billion. Johnson says the Chicago Public School needs this money because it misused temporary federal pandemic aid and is facing other financial problems. But Pritzker argues that the true cost to fully fund Chicago Public School would be much lower, around $503 million, not the $1.1 billion Johnson is asking for.
The state has a funding plan to gradually increase school funding to 90% of what’s needed, costing $8.6 billion this year. If the state had to fund all Chicago Public Schools at 100% of their needs, it would cost about $4.85 billion. Pritzker believes it’s not the state’s job to fix local financial mistakes, especially since Chicago already gets special pension benefits that reduce its funding requirements.
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State Funding for Chicago Public Schools: $1.1 Billion vs. $503 Million – Governor Pritzker Pushes Back Against Mayor Johnson’s Claim (PHOTO: Chicago Sun-Times)
Pritzker Highlights Lack of Formal Request and Disagrees with Johnson on Funding Mismanagement
Pritzker also noted that Johnson hadn’t formally asked him for the $1.1 billion and stressed that the state shouldn’t cover bad financial decisions made with temporary federal funds. This ongoing disagreement highlights the difficulties in managing state and local Chicago Public School funding.
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