Civic Federation Praises CPS Budget, Warns of Long-Term Challenges (Chicago, IL) – The Civic Federation on Friday commended the Chicago Board of Education for approving a budget that it said responsibly manages Chicago Public Schools’ ongoing financial challenges while protecting classrooms.
The Board voted to pass Interim CEO Kenneth King’s $2025–26 budget, which the watchdog group described as “structurally imperfect” but prudent in avoiding classroom cuts, risky revenue assumptions, and short-term borrowing.
“The budget effectively addresses extraordinary ongoing fiscal constraints while preserving the core mission by avoiding cuts to the classroom,” the Civic Federation said in a statement. “It also avoids risky revenue assumptions and short-term borrowing that would both undermine the District’s tenuous financial standing and increase future deficits.”
Despite those positives, the Federation cautioned that CPS continues to face a major structural deficit beginning next year. The organization urged district leaders and state lawmakers to take immediate steps to stabilize long-term finances, including separating CPS legally and financially from the City of Chicago, resizing facilities to match enrollment trends, and addressing disparities in state funding.
“Only by beginning to prepare now can the District avoid another budgetary crisis next year,” the group warned.
Civic Federation Praises CPS Budget, Warns of Long-Term Challenges
