FY2026 Budget Community Engagement Opportunities

CPS is facing a difficult budget situation going into the 2025–26 school year. While definitely challenging, this moment presents an opportunity to engage directly with our families, educators, and valued partners to develop financial solutions that are grounded in community insight and fully aligned to the needs of our students.

CPS is pleased to announce a series of community engagement opportunities happening this July. The goal of these meetings will be to:

• Explain the CPS budget and its impact on the student experience;
• Help everyone understand how we got here; and
• Discuss options that will allow CPS to build on our students’ outstanding progress, both next school year and in the future

These engagement opportunities will be divided into two categories:

• Community Feedback Sessions. These five meetings (four in-person, one virtual) will be a chance for stakeholders to learn about our current budget situation and provide feedback on options to balance short-term needs with long-term goals while continuing to prioritize student safety, well-being, and academic growth.
• Public Learning Sessions. These virtual sessions are opportunities to hear from local and national experts about CPS’ budget history, where things stand now, and what solutions can be considered going forward. These conversations will be broadcast live and available to watch afterward on the CPS YouTube channel.

The schedule for all events is below. All sessions will include Spanish and ASL translation, and participants planning to attend the Community Feedback Sessions should RSVP using the provided link.

Please Note: Sessions will not have a virtual option unless specified as virtual in the below table.

Resources