Pritzker Rejects CPS Bailout Amid Union Demands

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has declined to provide a financial rescue package for Chicago Public Schools (CPS), despite growing pressure from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). The union and CPS leadership argue the district remains underfunded, pointing to a $1.1 billion shortfall identified in June 2024 and now seeking an additional $1.6 billion in state support. Their case is grounded in Illinois’ “Evidence-Based Funding Formula” (EBF), which was created to address disparities between wealthy and poorer districts but is not legally binding.

Since the EBF was introduced in 2017, the state has increased K–12 education funding; however, student achievement has largely stagnated or declined. Illinois currently spends nearly $22,000 per pupil—ranking eighth in the nation and fifth relative to taxpayer income. That figure is significantly higher than neighboring Midwestern states, yet Illinois outcomes remain comparatively weak.

CPS itself spends far more than the state average, topping $32,000 per student—about one-third higher than other Illinois districts. Data from Wirepoints show that CPS’s per-pupil spending has surged 43 percent since 2019, with staffing increasing nearly 19 percent even as enrollment fell by 9 percent. More than half of the CPS workforce now consists of non-teaching staff.

Granting the CTU’s latest $1.6 billion request would trigger a ripple effect statewide, requiring an additional $6.4 billion under the EBF to preserve equity. That would raise CPS spending toward $37,000 per student, though only about half of such funding typically reaches schools and classrooms directly. Illinois, meanwhile, is already bracing for a $3.2 billion budget deficit next year.

While Pritzker has often aligned with CTU priorities—including restoring full bargaining rights in 2021, delaying school board governance changes in Chicago, and supporting unionization at charter schools—tensions are mounting. The governor also allowed the Invest in Kids scholarship program, which had assisted over 9,000 low-income students, to expire. CTU leaders continue to criticize his education policies, charging that he has failed minority students.

With Pritzker seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, the dispute with CTU could intensify. Some observers argue that reviving the Chicago School Finance Authority (SFA), which helped stabilize CPS finances during earlier crises, could restore fiscal discipline without undermining local education policy. Others suggest adjusting state pension funding formulas to free up city resources for CPS operations.

If neither approach advances, some have floated federal involvement through an Education Consent Decree as a way to tackle CPS’s structural problems and expand family options. For now, CPS faces a difficult combination of shrinking enrollment, ballooning costs, and stagnant academic results—despite unprecedented levels of funding.