Chicago Schools Won’t Open Without Education Budget

By Associated Press
Forrest Claypool responds to a question after Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that Claypool will head the embattled Chicago Public Schools Thursday, July 16, 2015, in Chicago.
CPS CEO Forrest Claypool said in a statement that "Chicago students, who are overwhelmingly students of color, are learning in a separate but unequal system." Charles Rex Arbogast / AP, file
Forrest Claypool responds to a question after Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that Claypool will head the embattled Chicago Public Schools Thursday, July 16, 2015, in Chicago.
CPS CEO Forrest Claypool said in a statement that "Chicago students, who are overwhelmingly students of color, are learning in a separate but unequal system." Charles Rex Arbogast / AP, file

Chicago Schools Won’t Open Without Education Budget

By Associated Press
WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

CHICAGO (AP) — The CEO of Chicago Public Schools says the district won’t be able to open this fall if Illinois lawmakers and governor don’t get an education budget approved.

District CEO Forrest Claypool told the Chicago Tribune (http://trib.in/22z5Lnd ) on Wednesday that Chicago schools wouldn’t open and that he suspects most other schools wouldn’t either without a spending plan.

The General Assembly adjourned its spring session Tuesday still deadlocked over a state budget. A stand-alone school funding bill passed by Senate Democrats was defeated by the House on Tuesday.

Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan, both Democrats, have said they want to work with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner to pass a temporary budget allowing Illinois to fund schools, social services, and colleges through the end of the year.