Schools
Is a Shorter School Year a Good Money-Saving Move for CPS?
POLL: The idea was suggested by a Board of Education member Wednesday as an option for the financially strapped district.
CHICAGO, IL — A shorter school year might be a way for Chicago Public Schools to cut costs as it tries to figure out how to operate in the absence of $215 million in state money tied up in Springfield's budget deadlock, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Altering the school calendar was suggested by the Board of Education on Wednesday as an option to help the school system make up for its budget shortfall now that its reserve funds and ability to short-term borrow have been all but tapped, the report stated. Whether this measure will be one the board considers remains to be seen.
CPS already has forced all of its employees to take four unpaid furlough days for the rest of the school year, a move that should save the district $35 million. The board officially accepted the furlough days at Wednesday's meeting, the Tribune reports.
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RELATED: CPS Workers Forced to Take 4 Unpaid Furlough Days to Save Money
One concern about cutting the school year: the potential negative effects on CPS students.
Find out what's happening in Chicagofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"People are going to say, 'Won't this impact our kids?' " said the Rev. Michael Garanzini, the Board of Education member who initially suggested the measure, according to the Tribune. "I think this is probably the major concern for parents and students and teachers. What's going to happen because of the budget cuts?"
Mayor Rahm Emanuel could be the biggest obstacle if CPS wants to consider shortening the school year. During his first term, the mayor was a proponent of actually lengthening the calendar despite objections from the Chicago Teachers Union, the report stated.
Revised budget hearings are tentatively set for Feb. 13 in advance of the board's vote on the latest plan for the fiscal year, according to the report.
YOUR TURN: Should Chicago Public Schools consider shortening the school year in order to save money? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section. Plus, take Patch's poll on the topic.
image via Chicago Public Schools
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