City council members grill head of Chicago Public Schools over rumored closure plans

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago City Council members grilled the head of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) about the looming financial needs of the system.

More than three dozen alderpersons called for the special hearing, which took place Wednesday and centered around the state of the public schools. Embattled school CEO Pedro Martinez and his team answered the call.

Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) was livid that the school board did not.

“I can't begin to frame my frustration that there are no members of the Board of Education here,” O’Shea said. “None of the outgoing members. None of the incoming members. They were all invited.”

Martinez, meanwhile, fielded tough questions from the city council members.

Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) worried about spending and consequences.

“At what point do you anticipate — if funding is not increased — that you would look at layoffs and cuts?” Beale asked.

The CPS CEO said they would “not be doing cuts during this school year” and added that, without an increase in funding, the system would be at a higher risk of cuts for the 2025-2026 school year.

As for a funding source, Martinez requested that the city use tax increment financing (TIF) money to help the schools dig out of a big budget hole.

West Side Ald. Jason Irvin (28th), though, said TIF money is often generated in less affluent neighborhoods. He was among multiple alderpersons who questioned Martinez over a list of potential school closures that would have impacted mostly Black and brown neighborhoods.

Martinez said it was a budgetary exercise.

“What we saw in the analysis, A: it doesn't solve the financial problems; and two: the impact that it has on the communities, the mistrust that it creates, it just was not aligned with our values,” Martinez said.

Irvin: “You didn't know that walking in the door?”

Martinez: “Again, we had to answer the questions, alderman. So, now I can answer that.”

Irvin: “Were you here the last time that we had — we closed 50 schools. That was national news. I don't care where you were. You all did not know that walking in the door?”

Martinez has resisted Mayor Brandon Johnson's demand that the system take on more high-interest debt to close the budget gap.

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