Board Meeting Preview; Students Stand Against ICE

At this morning's special board meeting, the Chicago Board of Education will vote on two key items:

An intergovernmental agreement to ensure Chicago Public Schools will make a $175 million payment to the Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund (MEABF), a city pension fund that includes CPS employees, and

Changes to EPIC Academy's charter renewal agreement that would allow the school district to pay to keep it open through the end of the current school year. Although today's agenda as posted on Tuesday did not include an item regarding the future of ChiArts High School, the contract school whose board chose not to pursue a renewal agreement, I've been told we may see an item about it arise at today's meeting.

Unlike a budget amendment, an intergovernmental agreement can be passed with only a simple majority of votes. Though the hotly contested question of whether CPS should pay into the MEABF created ongoing drama for the school district over the last 18 months, it's likely this agreement will pass. Earlier this month, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced he would release a record-breaking $1 billion in TIF surplus money, $522.4 million of which would go to CPS. In turn, the school board is promising to pay the $175 million pension contribution, leaving it with roughly the $379 million its current budget assumed it would receive from the city.

Although many City Council members have criticized the decision to declare a giant surplus, expressing concern that it could take money away from future ward-level development projects, Ald. Jason Ervin insisted that the school district follow through on contributing to the pension payment as a condition for his support, he told WTTW.

At the same time, CPS is facing new fiscal challenges beyond those accounted for in its current budget. The school district already lost millions in federal grant money for magnet schools due to disputes with the Trump administration over its policies supporting Black and transgender students. The school board is still determining the costs of its commitment to support The ongoing problems with Cook County's technology overhaul have held up property tax payments due in August. Earlier this month, the school district tapped $200 million from its credit line, backed by short-term borrowing in anticipation of property tax revenue. But no one knows when the second installment of property tax funds will arrive. The situation forces CPS to pay unexpected additional interest on its short-term loans.

Students Protest Immigration Raids

This week, students from Social Justice and Farragut High Schools led walkouts protesting last week's immigration raids in Little Village. During the raids, two Juarez High School students, both U.S. citizens, were detained and later released.

Board members Angel Gutierrez and Yesenia Lopez attended the Social Justice walkout on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Juarez High School in Pilsen held a day of action, featuring remarks and a Q & A with Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, followed by Know Your Rights training.

CPS Wrestles with Safety for Students, Families

Lia Sophia Lopez, the School of Social Justice senior who led the organizing for yesterday's student protest against ICE activity in Little Village, made a passionate case for allowing virtual learning during her remarks under the 26th Street Arch. "I call on CPS for hybrid learning for all elementary, middle and high school students," she said. In a later text message, she clarified that she meant, "Schools should give the option to be online."

Some Chicago Board of Education members agree. During last Thursday's board meeting, member Emma Lozano made an emotional plea for Governor JB Pritzker to declare a state of emergency, which would allow Chicago Public Schools to offer remote learning. "It is an emergency period. It is an emergency right now," she said, near tears.

There are many strategies in place and under discussion to keep CPS students and families safe from warrantless arrests while traveling to and from school. They include:

Strengthening Safe Passage. The CPS Safe Passage program, which places trained community members on high-traffic routes to and from individual schools, reduced workers' part-time hours this year as part of budget-cutting. Last week .It will take more than money. Different community groups manage Safe Passage workers in different neighborhoods. While some contractors provide robust training and support to show Safe Passage workers how to monitor for ICE activity, others don't.

Walking School Buses/Community Patrols. Albany Park elementary schools are organizing walking school buses to escort families to and from school, and communities are organizing watch patrols around their neighborhood schools to pass out Know Your Rights materials and watch for federal agents' activity.

Remote Learning. This is controversial, but it's under discussion. The pandemic remote learning experience has left many leery of bringing it back. "I totally understand the desire for virtual," said board member Carlos Rivas. "I think it's way more complicated to be able to do that."

It's unlikely Gov. Pritzker would declare an emergency due to federal presence, because that could invite further retaliation from the Trump administration.

During Tuesday's march in Little Village, a student who requested anonymity commented, "Some students do well with remote learning. Some students don't do well. It's complicated."

Expanding Virtual Academy Enrollment. In Los Angeles, which has long had a virtual academy parents can choose for any reason, enrollment surged over the summer due to concerns about ICE activity. Current CPS policy only allows students to attend its Virtual Academy for medical reasons. Changing that policy would likely be easier than pursuing an emergency declaration from Gov. Pritzker.

With all the attention this week on student organizing, it's a good time to visit the Chicago History Museum's new exhibit, Aquí en Chicago, which was created in response to demands back in 2019 from students at Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy that the museum redress its lack of representation of Latine history in the city.