Number of half-empty Chicago public schools doubles, yet lawmakers want to extend school closing moratorium – Wirepoints
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.
Mr. Glennon- But how could those actual cuts to the payouts you suggest ever get over the constitutional hurdle?
Yellow Rose- Assuming that a constitutional amendment could not be passed, the state could proceed as follows: Begin funding a new system that reflects serious cuts, adjustments and means testing, and stop funding the old one. Then give pensioners a choice to 1) stay in the old one or 2) transfer out of the old and go into the new. Nobody would stay in the old one. No court would mandate contributions into the old one. Even a union controlled legislature would grudgingly go along with this if the alternative is just no further funding into the old one. That’s… Read more »