Dear CPS Colleagues, Families, and Supporters,
This weekend kicks off the election season for our District’s Local School Councils (LSCs). Comprised of students, parents, staff, and community members, LSCs are critical decision-making bodies in our schools, approving academic plans, aligning budgetary resources to those plans, and selecting and evaluating school principals, among other important responsibilities.
The LSC is an excellent way to get involved and shape the future of your school community. Click here for complete details on how to run for an open seat in the 2026 LSC election.
Expanding Opportunities for Language Learning
At CPS, we are striving to shape a new generation of globally-minded citizens. A critical part of that work is providing students with the opportunity to learn more than one language, so we were excited this week to announce an expansion of our District’s Dual-Language and World-Language Education Programs.
The announcement was made at Calmeca Academy—an elementary school in Chicago’s Brighton Park community that offers both dual-language education in English and Spanish and world-language opportunities in Mandarin.
Lloyd, Sadlowski, and Little Village are the latest CPS elementary schools to add dual-language programming in English and Spanish to their list of academic offerings. Typically spanning a student’s entire elementary school career, Dual-Language Education (DLE) programs have two distinct goals:
- Help native speakers maintain pride in their home language and cultural identity while also becoming proficient in English
- Ensure that students achieve high academic performance in two languages and learn to thrive in a multicultural and global society.
With the addition of these three programs, CPS is now offering DLE in more than 45 schools, including Darwin Elementary in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. In just three years since adopting a Spanish Language Arts curriculum, Darwin has seen a 33% increase in students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards in reading—a statistic school leaders were eager to share with the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), who they recently hosted during the organization’s visit to Chicago.
In addition to our new DLE programs, CPS is also adding World Language Education (WLE) opportunities at Nettelhorst, Poe, and Swift elementary schools. Designed to build real-world proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, WLE programs provide students with the opportunity to acquire an additional language while gaining a deeper understanding of diverse cultures. More than 100,000 CPS students in nearly 250 schools currently study a wide range of world languages, including American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Polish, and Spanish.
This week’s announcement is directly aligned to the Multilingual Program Expansion outlined in our District’s five-year strategic plan. Participating schools will receive ongoing support throughout the school year, including curriculum resources, professional development for educators, and community engagement initiatives designed to foster long-term success.
I thank our Office of Multilingual - Multicultural Education (OMME) for identifying schools that will benefit most from this investment, as well as the six school communities themselves for partnering with CPS to bring these resources to their classrooms.
Celebrating National School Lunch Week
CPS celebrated National School Lunch Week by hosting tasting events and gathering student feedback on new menu items. In addition, as part of our District’s commitment to cultural responsiveness, CPS has launched a Chef Residency program that is bringing local recipes and community culinary style into our school cafeterias.
I’m also proud to share that our District has earned national recognition for elevating the quality of school meals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service and Action for Healthy Kids recently honored CPS’ Nutrition Support Services (NSS) team with four Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Awards. These awards recognize school districts that make significant efforts to improve nutrition, engage community members, and increase access to healthy meals.
CPS won the HMI Award in the following four categories:
- Innovation in Nutrition Education
- Innovative School Lunch Makeover
- Breakfast Trailblazer
- Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals
We know that nutritious meals enhance concentration, memory, and cognitive function, so I am proud to be leading a school district that prioritizes providing free, healthy, and nutritionally-balanced meals that support the wellbeing and academic success of all students.
Sincerely,
Dr. Macquline King
Interim Superintendent/CEO
Chicago Public Schools
Help Us Highlight Your School
We love highlighting the amazing things that are happening day-to-day in our schools, along with the people who are making them happen! Please share your stories with us using our Good News Form so that we can share them with the District!
A Look Around the District
Schools across the district are celebrating the end of Hispanic Heritage Month!
Howe Elementary, located in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, hosted a school-wide assembly featuring classroom performances that celebrated the culture of various Latin American countries. Guests also enjoyed student projects on display and food after the performances.
And at Prosser High School in Belmont Cragin, students and staff celebrated the month with a fun Human Loteria game where students were tasked with finding staff members in costumes representing characters from the traditional Mexican card game!
Help Choose Our District’s Next Leader
We are excited to share an opportunity for CPS stakeholders to participate directly in interviewing finalist candidates for the next superintendent/CEO of CPS.
The District is now forming a Community Interview Panel that will engage directly with our top finalists and provide valuable feedback to the Board. This opportunity is open to:
- CPS students in grades 9–12
- Parents or guardians of CPS students
- All CPS employees, including teachers, principals, and support staff
- Chicago residents, CPS alumni, and community partners
Please use this link to nominate yourself or someone you know to be considered for the Community Interview Panel. All names MUST be submitted by noon on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. Participants will be selected via lottery, with final review and approval of The Search Transition Committee to ensure representation of the rich perspectives and diversity of our CPS community.
Those selected for the Community Interview Panel will be expected to:
- Participate in two virtual training sessions during the week of November 3, 2025 prior to the candidate interviews
- Meet with finalist candidates in person during the week of November 10, 2025 (exact date TBD)
- Provide feedback to the Board through a confidential survey
- Maintain strict confidentiality regarding all finalist candidates (i.e., do not share candidates’ names, or any other information that could identify them)
Even if you are not on the interview panel, you can submit interview questions that you would like the panel to consider. These questions MUST be submitted at this link by noon on Monday, October 27, 2025.
Updates about the superintendent/CEO search process can be found on our website at cpsboe.org/supt-ceo-search.
Prescott Elementary Receives Illinois Governor’s Blue Ribbon Schools Award
Congratulations to the students and staff at Prescott Elementary School on being one of just 28 schools statewide to receive the Illinois Governor’s Blue Ribbon Schools Award. This award was created in 2025 by Governor Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) after the U.S. Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Award Program was canceled by the current presidential administration earlier this year.
Just like in 2019, when Prescott received the National Blue Ribbon Award, the school was recognized in 2025 for demonstrating exemplary academic performance. Prescott prides itself on setting high expectations for all students, ensuring that each child is challenged and supported, meeting students’ academic and social needs, and actively celebrating every student’s background and contributions to the community.
Run for a Seat on Your Local School Council
LSC elections will be held in person in CPS schools on March 18, 2026. Students, parents, staff, and community members who are interested in running for their school’s LSC should apply online. Paper applications in languages other than English and Spanish can be downloaded at cps.edu/lscelection, and student applications are available at each school's main office.
After completing the online application, LSC candidates must present two forms of identification by 3 p.m. on January 20, 2026, either in the main office of the school where they plan to run, or at the CPS Office of Local School Council Relations (2651 W. Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60612).
For questions on the District’s 2026 LSC Election, email lscrelations@cps.edu.
Stay Healthy During Respiratory Virus Season
PLEASE NOTE: The October 15, 2025 deadline for students to provide proof of required vaccines and health exams has now passed. If you have not yet submitted this documentation to your school, please do so immediately, as it is required by the state of Illinois for students to attend school. Families should review this Minimum Health Requirements document to determine which vaccines and exams their children need.
All required and recommended vaccines for children are widely available to CPS students at little to no cost, regardless of health insurance or immigration status. Visit cps.edu/vaccines for information on accessing our District’s dozens of School-Based Health Centers, and to see a list of upcoming vaccine opportunities, including Saturday vaccine events being held by CPS and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) beginning October 18.
We know that for children to be successful, they need to be in school. This can only happen if our students stay healthy, so families are also encouraged to get vaccinated against the flu, COVID-19, and RSV in accordance with the guidance provided by our public health experts.
For any questions about upcoming vaccine opportunities, families should email schoolhealth@cps.edu, or call the Healthy CPS Hotline at (773) 553-KIDS (5437).
GoCPS Applications Now Open for the 2026–27 School Year
GoCPS is a one-stop-shop for exploring all of the academic programs that CPS has to offer. These include neighborhood schools, magnet programs, Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities, and selective enrollment schools.
Families can visit the GoCPS website to explore their options and access helpful training sessions on navigating the application process for both elementary and high school.
All GoCPS applications for the 2026–27 school year MUST be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 14, 2025.
After-School Safe Haven Sites Serving CPS Students
The CPS Office of Faith-Based Initiatives partners with Safe Haven sites around the city to provide students with snacks, engaging activities, and supervision after school. Days and times vary by site. Click here for a complete list of Safe Haven locations.
CPS Scoreboard: This Week in District Athletics
OPPORTUNITY THIS WEEKEND: Chicago’s very own Women’s National Football Team, the Chicago Winds, is hosting a FREE football camp / clinic this Saturday, October 18 at Columbus Park -500 S. Central Ave in Chicago. Part of the Got Her Back program, athletes will learn from experts in the sport on ways to enhance their flag and tackle football skills. This opportunity is open to all girls ages 6-18. Registration begins on site at 8:30 a.m., and camp will run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The Chicago Public League has a new Girls Tennis champion! Congratulations to Whitney Young on securing back-to-back titles! Check out the recap here.
A Boys Soccer City Champion was also crowned in thrilling fashion this week, as the game was decided by penalty kicks for the second year in a row! Congratulations to Taft High School on securing the title, and congratulations to Lane Tech on a tremendous city season. Check out the clinching moment here!
The IHSA State Playoffs continue for our student-athletes across several fall sports. Stay up to date on the latest results and tournaments by visiting IHSA.org.
IMPORTANT: Please find updated policies for spectators at CPS-owned and operated stadiums as they relate to security, prohibited items, and new bag policies. Please note: These rules apply only to CPS-owned stadiums. Individual school events may have different rules for their on-campus activities.
CPS SCORE! Elementary Fall Schedules are now available! This fall, students are participating in volleyball, soccer, and cross country as they learn key skills and gameplay techniques! You can find the schedules for your students and schools here.
CPS is proud to continue its partnership with Honest Game to ensure students are academically eligible to play sports in college if they so choose. Families can learn more about Honest Game’s services for their student-athletes through family-facing webinars being held throughout the year. Click here for more information and to register.
For the latest content surrounding CPS student-athletes, make sure to follow us on social media!
Experience Fall in the Parks
Halloween in the Parks
From haunted houses and parties, to pumpkin patches and family-friendly Fall Fests, there is a Halloween celebration for everyone in the parks! More than 40 events are being offered at parks across the city from October 3–31, including a series of events just for teens. Join in on the fun! View the full list of events here.
Cheer On Youth Athletes at the Annual Mum Bowl at Soldier Field on Oct. 25
The 76th Annual Mum Bowl, the championship game of the Junior Bear tackle football program, takes place Saturday, October 25 at Soldier Field. Kickoff is at noon, and admission and parking are free. Come cheer on these dedicated young athletes and enjoy Soldier Field. Learn more here.
Apply Now to Be a 2026 Summer Lifeguard
Get your summer job plans in motion now. Make $20.50 an hour next summer as a Chicago Park District lifeguard. Apply now and select your test date—the first two tests will be offered on November 14 and December 20. Must be a Chicago resident and at least 16 years old by July 1, 2026. Learn more and apply here.
For questions, please email play@chicagoparkdistrict.com.
Special Ticket Offers from the Chicago Bulls and Lyric Opera of Chicago
CPS staff are invited to cheer on the Chicago Bulls with an exclusive ticket offer for the below games.
- Bulls vs. Pistons: October 22
- Bulls vs. Kings: October 29
- Bulls vs. 76ers: November 4
- Bulls vs. Spurs: November 10
- Bulls vs. Heat: November 21
- Bulls vs. Wizards: November 22
Lyric Opera of Chicago welcomes Chicago Public School employees to enjoy a buy one ticket, get one half off offer for Disney and Pixar's Coco in Concert Live to Film performance on Saturday, October 18 at 2 p.m. with the promo code CPSCOCO. Visit lyricopera.org/coco to purchase tickets to this family-friendly movie night with score performed live by the Lyric Opera Orchestra. Screened in English with Spanish subtitles.
Important Dates
For more upcoming events around the District, visit cps.edu/calendar.
- Thursday, October 23: Board of Education meeting. Learn more at cpsboe.org.
- Monday, October 27: Parent-teacher conferences; no classes for students.
- Tuesday, November 11: CPS offices and schools are closed in observance of Veterans Day. No classes for students.