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In its finalized 2024 budget book, CPS notes that just over $146 million of the budget will be allocated toward student transportation services. Additionally, the district approved a $4 million contract with Education Logistics, Inc. to improve its transportation challenges through June 2026. In its budget book, CPS noted "increasing the transportation budget so that all schools, regardless of budget and location, may engage students in on-site opportunities" as one of its "key" initiatives for 2024.
Summary and audio linked here.
Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
Full interview and summary linked here.
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Interesting.
I attended school in Chicago and used the CTA.
Cost to taxpayers: $0.
School Districts have become nothing more than Transportation, food service and day care.
And a Democratic Party slush fund…
We have this problem downstate as well. Once we had neighborhood schools where the majority of children walked to school. Assorted reasons were given by the educators as to why we were in need of the “middle school” concept meaning that now we have busses practically everywhere one looks during school days. Naturally this takes up the students time adding to the baby sitting effect of schools these days but beyond that it looks to me to be an inefficient expensive mess while the educator administrative bunch say it is wonderful and, as educators, know what is best for the… Read more »
Bigger question: why is Saginaw Michigan reporting on this story, rather than Chicago MSM?
CPS is long long long overdue for independent audit. Suspect there’s lots of monies funneled to employees and their relatives, rather than legitimate vendors and contractors providing legitimate services.
I recall Mayor BJ making a BIG DEAL during his mayoral campaign debates about “going thru budgets with fine-tooth comb”, yet he’s demonstrated zero financial competency skills (or interest) since he assumed office.
Do Chicago parents’ read the news?
Bet many parents of “selective enrollment” students do – Trib, NYT, and/or Wall Street Journal. More CPS parents watch TV, everyday, read online news.
More appropriately; can they?
BJ didn’t run for mayor out of some sense of civic duty to provide good governance to the residents of Chicago. BJ ran for mayor to loot the city on behalf of the unions and his cronies. They’re going to loot the city for every penny they can until it all collapses. Even if BJ goes on to higher office (a real possibility), his successor will carry on the looting begun under BJ. These are people who will loot a grocery store and then complain about being in food deserts; complain about no new development when unattended construction equipment gets… Read more »
Illinois is a rich state, 5th in total GDP among the 50 states. There’s a lot to loot.
The sad part is that Illinois being a rich state has more than enough money to be a successful state and solve many of its problems. But, the Democrats will loot the state just as @debtsor has said.
To paraphrase Milton Friedman, if you put the Illinois Democrats in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there would be a shortage of sand.
Streeterville, all school districts in Illinois are long overdue for a audit, a forensic audit flat out.
Great idea, but there will be no forensic audits in Illinois.
The Feds have had 1800 corruption trial in Illinois since the 1970s, yet Kwame Raoul never manages to prosecute any corruption, which we all know is happening right now. Lisa Madigan was the same.
From pages 191 & 192 of CPS budget, Student Transportation Services: CPS is transportation budget for 23-24 is total $146,298,848 To transport: 10,000 Diverse Learners (I assume special needs) students 500 Medical Needs students 6,700 Selective Enrollment, Magnet, etc students Total transported students =17,200 (they list 10,000 Individual Needs (IPE) students. I assume these are same as 10,000 Diverse Learner students?) Also, CPS spends $10 mil in transportation “financial incentive stipends” for 1,983 students (WOW!! $10,000,000 / 1,983 students =$5,043 per student!!!) Or, in other words, CPS is spending ($146,298,848 – $10,000,000)= $136,298,848 to transport 17,200 students Or, $136,298,848 /… Read more »
CPS also has an insane # of bus routes, like around 1,300!!! Which I’ve read about before and is a big part of the problem, buses driving around with only a few kids
The “financial incentive stipends” include handing out Ventra cards for CTA buses and trains if there is no school bus route available, along with gas reimbursements for parents who have to drive kids who are eligible for bus service (usually Diverse Learners) but again, no bus available. It gets better… If I want to take my class on a field trip there are ZERO extra buses available for any sort of event which would be longer than 2 hours. We can get picked up earliest at 9:30, but have to be back by 1:00pm. If there is an exhibit or… Read more »
When Old Joe was a kid he walked to school and these little darlings can too. It may even help lower childhood obesity rates. Wow, could I have a second career as a consultant?
Old Joe, that would never work because of the thugs preying on Chicago residents. These thugs would hold up a kid at gunpoint to steal his or her lunch money.
When Old Joe’s dad walked to school they had a school rifle team!