CHICAGO _ A week before a threatened teachers strike, Chicago Public Schools said about 250 teachers and staff members were being laid off Monday because of a steeper-than-expected drop in enrollment.
The layoffs had been expected since the district announced last week that 10th day enrollment was down almost 14,000 students from last year. The layoffs come on top of the more than 500 teachers and 500 school-based staff members let go in August, a move also attributed to enrollment declines.
The Chicago Teachers Union, which has set an Oct. 11 strike date if negotiators can't reach a tentative contract agreement with the district, said the latest round of cuts are "no way to run a world-class school district." The union said 187 of its members were affected.
Union leaders have pointed to ongoing layoffs and school budget cuts in calling on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration to give more money to the cash-strapped district, an argument that is central to ongoing contract talks.
"Today's cuts are the latest round of attacks on children and are pushing educators closer to Chicago's third school strike in four years," CTU spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said in a statement.
"As teachers continue to work to maintain the best classroom instruction amidst piecemeal budgets, the mayor and his handpicked CPS CEO Forrest Claypool continue to rob students of essential support staff and educators whom they've known and trusted in learning environments."
The union said contract negotiators were set to meet on three days this week. The union's House of Delegates has a regular meeting Wednesday.
CPS last week said the 10th day enrollment figures would mean about 300 schools would lose some $45 million in funding under the district's student-based budgeting system. At the same time, the district said slightly less than 200 other schools would gain $20 million in funding.
The district said affected staff members could apply for vacant jobs in the district or jobs that may open up at schools that have grown and are getting more money.
CPS has acknowledged some of the latest budget cuts would leave schools without enough money to provide basic education. Because of that, 55 schools will split $5.7 million if enrollment declines were "significantly deeper than expected" or "would prevent them from offering critical academic programming." The district said it already has distributed $8 million to schools struggling with enrollment declines.
"The District will continue to work with principals individually to ensure that they have the resources they need to offer the education Chicago students deserve," CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner said in a statement.
The 10th day enrollment total of 378,481 continues a decline in the district that saw the number of students fall below 400,000 two years ago for the first time in at least two decades.
