Layoffs Set For Chicago Public Schools Central Office
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Public Schools will lay off workers at their central office, but no teachers would be affected by the move.
The layoffs -- believed to be at least 250 jobs -- target workers in the CPS administration and will be announced on Friday.
"Tomorrow – as we continue to work with the teachers union and Springfield on solutions to our budget crisis – we are prioritizing the immediate needs of our schools and moving forward with painful layoffs to the Central Office and administrative staff," CPS chief Forrest Claypool said in a prepared statement.
"We do not take these actions lightly, but as we ask others to do their part, we are doing everything in our power to put our fiscal house in order. Every department at CPS will have to do more with less, as we streamline administrative functions in an effort to prevent cuts from reaching our classroom doors. These cuts will consolidate some functions and challenge the district to continue delivering services.
"As we start the second semester, it is critical to keep as many resources in the classroom as possible to protect our students' academic gains."
The bombshell announcement comes as CPS is negotiating a new labor contract with the Chicago Teachers Union. On Thursday, CTU President Karen Lewis indicated a strike is looking less likely.
"The signal is that they're going to keep cuts as far from the classroom as possible," Lewis said of the CPS administrative cuts.