Number of half-empty Chicago public schools doubles, yet lawmakers want to extend school closing moratorium – Wirepoints
April 19, 2024
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A set of state lawmakers want to extend CPS’ current school closing moratorium to February 1, 2027 – the same year CPS is set to transition to a fully-elected school board. That means schools like Manley High School, with capacity for more than 1,000 students but enrollment of just 78, can’t be closed for anther three years. The school spends $45,000 per student, but just 2.4% of students read at grade level.
Hopefully, all media will get the message, in Illinois, too.
Ted joined Tom Miller of WJPF to talk about Illinois’ highest-in-the-nation property taxes, why lawmakers don’t want to touch the tax’s cost drivers, just how much Illinoisans’ tax burden has grown over the decades, why Gov. Pritzker failed to meet his promise to reform property taxes, and more.
What are the chances Michael Madigan did not know of the issue when the House overrode the Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 42 which became Public Act 100-0023.
If he’s as disciplined and detailed as is commonly portrayed, especially with a data point on a significant topic coming from his arch rival, Governor Rauner, the likelihood would seem to be about zero.
So was Michael Madigan, and John Cullerton for that matter, sloppy and not fact check the claim, or what is really going on.
I have no doubt both Madigan and Cullerton knew the savings claim was inflated and never measured. Cullerton, especially, has long been the master of appearing to support “pension reforms” that in fact are carefully designed to change little. Both of them are very, very smart.