Chicago Schools

Who’s Really in Charge of Your Child’s Education?

Chicago families are being told the system is improving. But the numbers tell a different story: weak academic performance, rising absenteeism, mounting bureaucracy, and policies that leave parents with less voice over what happens in their children’s schools

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The Problem

Chicago Public Schools continues to post deeply troubling academic results despite massive spending and staffing growth. In 2024, just 30.5% of CPS students in grades 3 through 8 met proficiency standards in reading, and only 18.3% were proficient in math. Among 11th graders, only 22.4% could read at grade level and just 18.6% were proficient in math, both still below pre-pandemic levels.

At the same time, CPS is spending at a level few districts in the country can match. Total spending reached $28,702 per student in the 2024-2025 school year when operating, debt, and capital costs are included. Yet only about half of the district’s nearly $10 billion budget actually reaches classrooms. The rest is absorbed by pensions, debt service, capital expenses, and district administration.

Families are being asked to trust a system that keeps growing while delivering weaker results. Staffing has increased by more than 9,000 employees since before the pandemic, even as enrollment has fallen by roughly 10%. Most of that growth has gone to support and administrative roles, not to classrooms.

The Truth

Chicago Needs Engaged Citizens Now

When good people stay silent, bad policies win. But when informed citizens step up, communities transform. The solution isn’t waiting for someone else—it’s you.

Education

Learn how local government, property taxes, TIF districts, and school boards actually work

Connection

Meet neighbors who share your concerns about transparency, fiscal responsibility, and community leadership

Action

Get practical tools to participate in city meetings, submit public comments, and hold local officials accountable

Support

Ongoing help from experienced community advocates who’ve successfully driven change in Illinois municipalities

Facts Everyone Should Know

CPS academic performance remains alarmingly low

Just 30.5% of CPS students in grades 3 through 8 met reading proficiency standards in 2024, and only 18.3% were proficient in math. That means fewer than one in three students can read at grade level and fewer than one in five can do math at grade level.

Spending is soaring without matching results

CPS spent $28,702 per student in the 2024-2025 school year when operating, debt, and capital costs are included. That places Chicago among the highest-spending large urban districts in the country, yet student performance remains unacceptably weak.

Too little of the budget reaches the classroom

Of CPS’s nearly $10 billion budget, only about 51% actually goes to classrooms. The rest is consumed by pension obligations, debt repayment, capital costs, and district administration.

The system is adding staff while losing students

CPS staffing has grown by roughly 25% since before the pandemic, adding more than 9,000 employees, even as enrollment has dropped by about 10%. More than 70% of that staffing increase went to support and administrative roles, not classroom instruction.

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