Two Numbers Sum Up What’s Happening With Chicago Public Schools

The numbers: After receiving $2.8 billion in federal covid relief funds, Chicago Public Schools hired nearly 8,000 staff members despite a 10% drop in enrollment. (WaPo)

Context: Chicago Public Schools, currently grappling with a $500 million budget shortfall, highlights a national trend where public schools are boosting hiring even as student numbers remain flat or drop.

Bubba’s Two Cents

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a close ally of the Chicago Teacher’s Union, has framed proposals to cut back on teacher jobs amid the budget crisis as laying off “brown and black women.” So it’s pretty clear what’s going on here. The school system got a massive infusion of cash, got bloated and is now using an emotional appeal to justify what seems like a plainly illogical situation (why do you need so many more teachers if enrollment’s fallen?). Never mind that Chicago’s school spending has increased 97% since 2012 or that the district spends nearly $30,000 a year for each student, well above the national average of $17,280 per pupil.

Chicago’s just one part of a bigger picture, where government agencies everywhere use emotional appeals to keep the cash flowing in a never-ending cycle.