catalyst-chicago.org

Is it better to do something that means next to nothing, or to do nothing at all?That’s probably the question that Alderman Latasha Thomas was asking herself this afternoon during a four-hour City Council education committee hearing, as members considered passing a non-binding resolution to put a one-year moratorium on school closings and turnarounds.

CEO Ron Huberman is preparing for another round of budget cuts to hit this school year and to issue a major announcement about next year's cuts to close the district’s estimated $800 million budget gap. The immediate budget reductions would be instituted to deal with the state’s failure to pay out about $207 million that it owes the district. But this year’s cuts will pale in comparison to what Huberman is planning for next year--including possible cuts to charter schools.

Members of a task force on special education said Monday they were not ready to move forward with a proposal that would change the way CPS' state special education is funding, but a state board committee is pressing ahead with the plan, including a proposal to slash the budget next year.

The task force spent three hours discussing a report that concludes the state’s special education funding system is inequitable because Chicago receives more than its share of money.