CPS budget debate escalates ahead of pivotal vote

With a pivotal vote Thursday on the Chicago Public Schools budget, a battle is still raging over a proposal by school district officials that some board members and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office say relies too heavily on shaky revenue.

As was the case last year, there’s a debate about whether a loan should be used to ward off budget cuts. The school district is already deeply in debt and pays high interest rates, but it can’t independently raise revenue.

The mayor’s office and CPS officials are at odds despite the interim schools chief having been hired from Johnson’s administration this summer. Board members are split, too, though the majority seems inclined to support Johnson’s position. Most are mayoral appointees or were elected with the backing of his allies at the Chicago Teachers