Chicago School Board stalls on $175M budget vote as teacher contract talks heat up

CHICAGO - The Chicago Public Schools Board has canceled a vote on a budget amendment that would help fund a new CTU contract.

The amendment would also cover a $175 million retiree pension payment. 

What we know:

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) sources say the amendment faced significant opposition, in part because it could require additional short-term borrowing, potentially pushing CPS further into junk bond status.

Board President Sean Harden said the decision to delay the vote was driven by ongoing contract negotiations with CTU.

"We’re extremely close to settling the teachers union contract, so as a result the budget amendment and related items have been withdrawn from today's agenda," said Harden.

Ahead of the board meeting, CTU members held a press conference stating that negotiations were down to the final details, with remaining disagreements over teacher evaluations, classroom prep time, and pay raises for tenured teachers. 

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who attended the event, urged the board to finalize a fair contract.

"The number one responsibility this school board could do right now and this superintendent could do right now is to step up and finalize a contract, a fair contract," Weingarten said.

The delay also raises questions about the $175 million pension payment. 

The previous CPS board had budgeted for the city to cover the payment, a long-standing practice. 

However, Mayor Brandon Johnson now insists that CPS should make the payment instead—an apparent shift from his campaign stance, where he supported the city handling it. 

Without the amendment, the shortfall could spark a City Council debate on how to close the gap before the March 31 budget deadline.

What's next:

Despite the budget uncertainty, Mayor Johnson expressed support for delaying the vote to allow contract negotiations to conclude. 

With the city’s budget deadline looming, CPS and the teachers union face mounting pressure to finalize an agreement before financial decisions must be made.