Schools

Last year’s Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) budget represented a key milestone in the decades-long effort to create a more equitable District and provide a high-quality education for all of Chicago’s children.

In prior years, the District’s model relied mainly on student-based budgeting (SBB), where the District would allocate a standard dollar amount for every student, and then add funding based on each school’s unique characteristics and needs. Principals were given a pot of money, and they would have to figure out what they could afford. For FY2025, CPS fully moved away from SBB and adopted a model that is easier to understand, more transparent, more equitable, and rooted in the needs of students in a school rather than the number of students in a school.

Schools will receive both centrally allocated positions and flexible funding through enrollment and needs-based formulas. Funds allocated directly to schools in FY2026 reflect an increase of more than $300 million year-over-year and ensure that every student receives a fully resourced, supportive, safe, and healthy learning environment, and prioritizes needed resources for communities that have historically been farthest from opportunity.

The following sections discuss funding for instructional priorities and additional funding received by schools.

Enrollment

Budget allocations for SY2025–26 that incorporate an enrollment metric utilize each school’s 20th day enrollment during SY2024–25. Funding schools based on prior year enrollment ensures that schools will not see a budget reduction in the fall, even if enrollment declines based on actual FY2026 20th day numbers. As in previous years, schools will receive additional funding if their enrollment on the 20th day of the new school year exceeds their FY2025 budget baseline enrollment. This model allows schools to plan confidently for the year ahead without concern for potential budget reductions in fall, while also ensuring schools have sufficient resources to meet their priorities for their current students.

For more information on student demographics, including enrollment, please see Appendix A.

Number of Schools

Per CPS definition, a school:

1. Is officially authorized by the Chicago Board of Education;
2. Is based in one or more buildings inside the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago;
3. Has or will have one of the following governance structures: a local school council, an appointed local school council, a board of directors, or a board of governors;
4. Employs at least one administrator to lead the school;
5. Employs at least one credentialed person to provide instruction to students;
6. Provides an appropriate curriculum for each grade level served that, at a minimum, meets all requirements of the Illinois State Code;
7. Requires progression toward a terminal grade level within a single school, regardless of physical location;
8. Is not defined under Illinois School Code as something other than a school (e.g., an Alternative Learning Opportunity Program is not a school); and
9. Has or is intended to have at least one actively enrolled student during the school year.

Based on this definition, there are 630 schools in FY2026. Table 2 provides the school count by type.

The following table explains the change in school count between FY2025 and FY2026.

School Budget Overview

The FY2026 budget contains more than $5.3 billion budgeted at school units. The following tables show fund and position allocations by school type and funding category.

^ Budgeted amount for charter schools is based on Per Capita Tuition Charge (PCTC) and consists of a consolidated funding stream encompassing core instruction, non-instructional, special education, and facilities supplements for those schools located in independent facilities. Listed funds for Special Education and Operations pertain only to all other funds for Charter and Contract schools not included in the PCTC funding stream.

*This includes core classroom, holistic, and programmatic teachers; core administrative positions like principals, assistant principals, clerks, counselors, and restorative justice coordinators; and other general-funded positions integral to the functioning of CPS schools.

** Due to a change in how the District funds charter schools, charter schools that operate as Options Programs are now categorized under All Charter Schools in the row above.

*This includes core classroom, holistic, and programmatic teachers; core administrative positions like principals, assistant principals, clerks, counselors, and restorative justice coordinators; and other general-funded positions integral to the functioning of CPS schools.

**FTE at charter and contract schools include federally funded lunchroom staff and security staff, the latter of which are deducted from tuition payments made to the schools that have them.

***Includes positions projected for school-based assignment during the beginning of SY2026. Included in the citywide count since exact school placements will be determined later in the Fiscal Year based on evolving school needs.

Charter and Contract Schools

Charter and contract schools are public schools managed by independent operators and offer an alternative to traditional District-managed schools. Starting in FY2026, each will be funded in a distinct manner.

While SBB had traditionally been used as the primary funding source for both charter and contract schools, FY2025 marked the first time where the District used Core Instructional Funding (CIF) as the primary funding stream for charter and contract schools, reflecting a corresponding change on the District-side in the way schools were funded. What was observed in FY2025, however, is that for certain charter schools, this funding methodology was not able to keep pace with the growing per-capita-tuition-charge (PCTC). This charge, published by ISBE and listed in Illinois School Code, sets the minimum and maximum amounts charter schools can be funded relative to district schools.

With this growth in the PCTC, CPS will fund charter schools in a manner that is directly tied to PCTC. Charter schools will receive a per-pupil amount reflective of PCTC, representing a consolidation of prior funding streams into a singular one. This will be split up over quarterly payments.

Contract schools, which are not held to the same funding restrictions as charter schools, will continue to receive the same funding streams that were rolled out in FY2025. CIF includes a proportionate share of centrally allocated instructional and administrative staff, as well as discretionary dollars. Funding for operations, security, central office expenses, and education support programs will continue to be paid to charter and contract schools through Non-Instructional Funding, rather than through citywide spending for District schools. This allocates an equitable share of centralized spending and of each categorical funding source, where applicable. Contract schools in independent facilities will also receive a facilities supplement, and all contract schools will receive special education dollars aligned to the needs of their student populations.

For more details on how charter and contract schools will be funded in FY2026, please see Appendix B.

Alternative Learning Opportunity Programs (ALOPs)

ALOPs provide different educational options for youth who have not been consistently enrolled in school. These programs are run by external vendors who receive per-pupil-based funding from the District to support programmatic offerings and support services.

Specialty Schools

Specialty schools primarily serve students with significant disabilities and students in pre-k. Specialty schools include:

• Four high schools that serve only students with disabilities (Northside Learning Center, Southside Occupational Academy, Ray Graham Training Center, and Jacqueline B. Vaughn Occupational High School).
• Three early childhood centers that serve pre-k students and a significant number of students with disabilities enrolled in primary grades (Blair Early Childhood Center, Daniel C. Beard Elementary School, and Wilma Rudolph Learning Center).
• Five early childhood centers serving only pre-k students (Dr. Fisher Early Learning Center, Catalpa Early Childhood Center, Barbara Vick Early Childhood and Family Center, Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center, and Stock School).

Specialty schools receive the majority of their funding through specialized funding streams related to their program focus, primarily special education positions and early childhood positions. The remainder of their funds comes from foundational instructional and administrative positions and discretionary dollars. To account for the specific needs of the students with disabilities they serve, the costs of these schools are significantly higher than traditional schools when compared on a per-pupil basis.

District Options Schools

District Options schools serve students who are in confinement, at risk of dropping out of school, or have dropped out and wish to return. District Options schools include one school located at the Cook County Jail (Consuella B. York Alternative High School), one school located at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative High School), one school that serves pregnant and parenting students (Simpson Academy for Young Women), and one school that serves students who previously dropped out of school and students who are at risk of dropping out (Peace and Education Coalition Alternative High School).

SAFE Schools

SAFE schools provide an educational option to students who have been expelled from another CPS school due to violence. In FY2025, CPS opened a second SAFE school campus on the West Side. Both SAFE Schools are managed by the same operator. The operational costs for these two campuses are covered primarily by a state Regional Safe Schools grant.

Additional Funding Received By Schools

Schools receive additional funding to meet specific student needs, including funding for students with disabilities, bilingual students, early childhood students, program costs, and school operations. Please review Appendix B for information on funding formulas for these allocations.

Special Education Funding

Special education allocations are based on the number of special education teachers and paraprofessionals needed to deliver the supports and services defined in students’ Individualized Education Programs. Initial allocations are determined by each school’s special education population as of spring 2025. Allocations may be updated during the year in response to changes in student needs.

Multilingual-Multicultural Education

Schools receive supplemental bilingual education coordinators and per-pupil funds based on the number of English learners (ELs) they have. There are two programs: Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) for schools that have 20 or more ELs of the same language background, and Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) for schools that have 19 or fewer ELs of the same language background. The Office of Multilingual-Multicultural Education tracks ELs and allocates supplemental bilingual teachers and funds to schools.

The FY2026 budget includes $61.3 million in supplemental funding for schools, which covers the hiring of 463.0 supplemental bilingual education coordinators, 17.0 dual language coordinators, and 28.5 critical language classroom teachers. Bilingual education is supported by local funding and dedicated state and federal funding.

Early Childhood

To better meet family needs and ensure children are receiving services that will set the foundation for long-term success, the District continues to build on its four-year plan to provide all four-year-olds in Chicago with access to high-quality, full-day early childhood education.

The FY2026 budget contains $229 million allocated to 371 elementary schools and early learning centers for early childhood programs, including universal pre-k and child-parent centers. Additional funding is allocated to the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) for programs that are implemented at various community-based organizations. Additional funds are budgeted centrally for items such as:

• Professional development for teachers and administrators;
• Curriculum and instructional materials, furniture, and technology;
• Student and teacher assessments; and
• Nutritious snacks for full-day programs.

Early childhood programs serve pre-k students ages three and four, and are funded primarily from the state’s Early Childhood Block Grant, with most of the remainder coming from local funds. CPS also provides state grant funding to community-based providers for early childhood programs up to age five, as noted above and described more fully in the Office of Early Childhood Education’s department narrative, but this funding is not reflected in school budgets.

Other Programs

Schools that offer Board-funded educational programming receive additional teaching positions or funding. All programs except for STEM are funded from general funds. Details on these programs are found in their respective departmental narratives. Significant programs are included in Table 6.

Discretionary Funds

CPS schools receive two discretionary funding sources: Needs-Based Flexible Funding and Title I Discretionary Dollars. Schools will receive Needs-Based Flexible Funding based on enrollment and opportunity index (OI) to spend on additional personnel and non-personnel needs. The allocations are determined using the formula detailed in the table below. In total, $226.1 million in Needs-Based Flexible Funding was allocated to CPS Schools.

Title I of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides funds to schools with high concentrations of low-income, educationally disadvantaged students who require supplementary services. Over 85 percent of qualifying CPS schools will receive $104.1 million in discretionary Title I funding in FY2026.

Operational Expenses

Schools receive additional positions, services, and funding for various operational expenses. In FY2026, the following operational funding appears in schools’ budgets:

• Security: School security officers and part-time security are assigned to schools by the Office of Safety and Security. Security positions are budgeted at schools.
• Food Service: This includes the labor costs of the lunchroom staff; the food costs required to provide lunch and breakfast are budgeted centrally.
• School Operational Support: Full-time school assistants have been provided to all schools with an enrollment of more than 600 students, and schools with fewer students will receive a part-time position to provide school-level operational and supervisory support.
  

Other operational expenses are managed centrally to support the effective use of resources. Among the positions managed centrally are bus aides, engineers, and custodians. Please refer to the department narratives for more details about each of these operational areas.

Private Schools

Students, teachers, and parents of private or non-public schools are entitled to federal support through Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (Title IA & D, Title II, Title III, Title IV) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). CPS must set aside a share of the federal funds it receives to make services available to eligible private or non-public school students, teachers, and parents. However, these funds are not paid directly to the private schools; instead, CPS operates these programs on behalf of eligible students, teachers, and parents.

Each year, CPS oversees and manages services for approximately 61,000 students in 250 private schools. In addition, CPS oversees services for children who attend seven residential sites that specialize in serving children under the guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

The following table shows the allocations for each of the federal programs. Funding is proportionate to the number of eligible students in each private school as compared to the students’ designated CPS neighborhood school. FY2026 amounts are projections; the final amounts will be determined after the District’s applications are approved by the Illinois State Board of Education.