Dear CPS Families,
We hope everyone is making the most of the final weeks of summer and feeling energized for the exciting start of the new school year!
The kickoff of the school year is just around the corner! Classes begin in four weeks—Monday, August 18, for all K-12 students, followed by our Pre-K students on Tuesday, August 19!
A reminder that ALL students and accompanying adults can get FREE rides to and from school on CTA buses and trains on their first day!
To help families get the school year off to a strong start, we have organized important back-to-school information into categories below. Please click on the topics that interest you to get the information you need! All details are also available on our Back-to-School Website at cps.edu/b2s.
- Key Dates
- Required Forms
- School Meals
- School Supply Lists
- Back-to-School Bashes
- Update on the CPS Hub Stop Program
- Complete the CPS Budget Survey
Thank you for reading this message; we’re looking forward to welcoming our students back to school in just four weeks!
- Chicago Public Schools
Key Dates
All dates for the 2025-26 school year are now available on the CPS calendar. We know that there have been some inconsistencies with this calendar in the past few weeks, and we apologize for any confusion this has caused.
The calendar is now final, and includes all breaks, holidays, Professional Development Days, Parent-Teacher Conference dates, and the start and end dates for the 2025-26 school year.
A reminder that classes begin for all K-12 students on Monday, August 18, with all Pre-k students starting school the next day on Tuesday, August 19. You can check your school’s arrival and dismissal times using the CPS School Locator.
Required Forms
Please carefully review the Student Health and School Forms Booklet, which includes important information on CPS health requirements and services for the 2025-26 school year. It also contains all of the forms that must be submitted by parents to their school, including:
- Student Medical Information
- Request for Emergency and Health Information
- School Messaging Consent Form
- Media Consent Form and Release
- Family Income Information Form
School Meals
CPS serves FREE breakfast and lunch to every student, every day. Check out school menus here.
School Supply Lists
Access the school supply list for your student’s grade here.
Back-to-School Bashes
We invite CPS families to attend one of the District’s upcoming Back-to-School Bashes! These free events include food and entertainment, and students can walk away with a backpack filled with new school supplies! The bashes are also a great opportunity for parents to connect with staff and other families, get answers to questions about the school year, and connect to various services, including health care and vaccines.
The schedule for this year’s Back-to-School Bashes is below:
|
Date and Time |
Location |
|
Tuesday, July 29, from 12 to 4 p.m. |
Columbus Park (500 S Central Ave on the West Side) |
|
Wednesday, July 30, from 12 to 4 p.m. |
Winnemac Park (5100 N Leavitt St on the North Side) |
|
Tuesday, August 5, from 12 to 4 p.m. |
Piotrowski Park (4247 W 31st St on the Southwest Side) |
|
Thursday, August 7, from 12 to 4 p.m. |
Gately Park (810 E 103rd St on the Far South Side) |
Update on the CPS Hub Stop Program
Later this year, CPS will continue the Hub Stop Pilot Program to expand transportation options for eligible general education students.. Please note that while the program will continue, services WILL NOT be available at the start of the school year. Consistent with last school year's approach, CPS will implement hub stops in phases, prioritizing eligible students with the greatest need.
For more information on the Hub Stop Pilot Program, please visit cps.edu/transportation.
Complete the CPS Budget Survey
Thank you to everyone who attended the recent Community Feedback Sessions around the 2025-26 CPS budget. If you were not able to attend these sessions but would still like to share your thoughts, you can do so by completing this brief Budget Survey. This is your chance to share your concerns, ideas, and priorities around the CPS budget for the coming school year, which includes a $734 million budget gap that must be closed. A synopsis of our current budget situation, along with other resources to help you understand the budget, are available on our District’s budget website. We also invite you to view a public learning session regarding the budget that was recorded last week and is available here on our Youtube page. The deadline to complete the CPS Budget Survey is Friday, July 25.