Opinion: Mayor’s board allies aim to shut down schools

by JENNIFER CUSTER

As school districts, educators, families and students have spent the last month preparing for “back to school,” my colleagues and I on the Chicago public school board have watched Interim CEO Dr. Macquline King pull a courageous move by standing up to Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union.

She did this by presenting a responsible and balanced budget to the public.

In the same vein as her predecessor, Pedro Martinez, she sees the damage of reckless borrowing and the impossibility of the district transferring $175 million to the city without drastic effects on the classroom- actions Mayor Johnson supports. And then it was revealed that eleven Chicago School board members, most appointed by Brandon Johnson, sent a directive to Dr. King saying they wanted to see borrowing and money given to the Mayor in the presented budget.

We are now at an impasse on the School Board, with a majority favoring a vote to reject the presented budget after being pressured by the Johnson Administration, and a steadfast Superintendent King, who refuses to fold to the Mayor.

I write to offer a word of caution to all these board members, and a word of warning to the city.

If this budget does not pass on August 28, there are larger stakes at play. In June, the Board only authorized spending for the fiscal year through August 29. Voting down this budget would cease our spending authority, effectively creating a district-wide shutdown and closing every school. No vendors, teachers, principals, or other staff are authorized to be paid. PARENTS: Your children will be home again, not learning. The educational system of Chicago will be closed.

Mayor Johnson’s strong-arm tactics this year speaks nothing to the consequences of future years to the district, with more borrowing and more debt. If borrowing is even possible. If we struggle through this budget, what kind of pain will kids feel year after year?

The short-sightedness of so many of my colleagues is beyond troublesome. Perhaps my colleagues who don’t owe their board seat to the Mayor are looking further to the future, given that many of us still have young kids in CPS. We see families like ours reflected in our communities. Or maybe we just care about Chicago kids more than we do about political bosses.

I urge my colleagues to do what’s right and reconsider. The ramifications of this decision extend well beyond the district itself and into the daily lives of Chicago families. While this budget isn’t perfect, it is balanced, honors our agreements with teachers and other workers, keeps cuts out of the classrooms, and sets the district up for the long term. It keeps doors open, including sports and activities after school, and it holds the joyful learning day intact that our students remember. Let’s make this year a good year for our students.

Custer is a Chicago Board of Education member for District 1B.

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