Dear CPS Colleagues, Families, and Supporters,
May marks an exciting milestone across our District, as high school seniors prepare to graduate and begin the next chapter of their lives. Many already have a head start on this journey, including the more than 3,100 members of the Class of 2026 whose diplomas will boast the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy.
This prestigious recognition honors students who demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one additional language. This year, many recipients exceeded beyond that, with 61 students earning the Seal in TWO languages, and another four achieving it in THREE!
The most common second language mastered by students is Spanish, but new languages are added to the mix each year. In 2026, these languages included Cebuano, Macedonian, Malay, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu.
In an increasingly diverse and interconnected society, proficiency in multiple languages creates meaningful opportunities for our students and strengthens their ability to communicate, connect, and lead across cultures and communities. I congratulate this year’s Seal of Biliteracy recipients on achieving this remarkable milestone so early in their academic journeys!
Class of 2026 Sets New Early College Records
This week, CPS celebrated members of the Class of 2026 who earned college credit while still in high school, an accomplishment that reflects both academic excellence and strong preparation for life after graduation. I’m proud to share that this class set new District records across every early college milestone:
- More than 6,700 of our high school seniors earned at least one college credit
- Of this group, 1,157 earned 15 or more transferable college credits
- And 252 students will be handed their Associate Degree on graduation day alongside their high school diploma!
In total, the CPS Class of 2026 will graduate having earned more than 66,000 college credits, which is the highest-ever early college achievement for CPS, and which translates into an estimated $10.4 million in tuition savings for these students and their families.
I congratulate our seniors on their hard work, and thank everyone who makes our Early College programming possible, including our Office of College and Career Success, our partners at the City Colleges of Chicago, and our many university partners across the Chicagoland area, including Columbia College, Loyola University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. These strong collaborations and shared commitment continue to make the path to a college degree more accessible for our students each and every year.
New Partnership Gives Student Artists a Boost
I’m excited to share that the world-renowned music festival Lollapalooza has announced a $1.7 million grant to expand arts education opportunities for our District’s young artists. This marks one of the largest gifts CPS has received for arts programming, and brings the festival’s total support for CPS arts education to $3.9 million since 2021.
More than $600,000 of this new funding will go to support our District’s All-City Performing Arts (ACPA) program—an initiative that has been giving children in grades 3 to 12 access to after-school music, dance, and theater ensembles for the past 63 years. The announcement was made at this week’s All-City Performing Arts (ACPA) Spring Showcase, which featured the incredible talents of more than 300 musicians, actors, and dancers from over 140 schools.
I thank Lollapalooza for this generous investment which is expanding opportunities for students to rehearse, perform, and grow as artists beyond the classroom. Partnerships like this play an important role in advancing our District’s commitment to equitable arts education and opportunity for students in every Chicago neighborhood.
Applauding Our District’s Crossing Guards
As the school year winds down, I want to take a moment to thank our District’s crossing guards for their dedicated service. No matter the conditions outside, our crossing guards are there to keep students safe as they travel to and from school, often providing a warm smile and encouraging word as they send them on their way.
Earlier this week, CPS recognized four outstanding individuals as Crossing Guards of the Year during a special rally celebrating their dedication to student safety and service to our school communities:
- Shshana Simmons (Far South Region)
- Consuelo "Connie" Reyes (Central West Region)
- Gwen Ford Nino (North Region)
- Sharon Wilkins (Southwest Region)
With more than 75 years of combined service among them, these crossing guards were recognized for their vigilant care, welcoming smiles, infectious energy, and their steadfast dedication to our children and their families.
Finally, this year’s “Going Above and Beyond” award went to Jamieson Elementary crossing guard Joe Sass, who made national headlines this past January when a water main break flooded his intersection. Without hesitation, he lifted a student and carried them safely across the street, exemplifying the care, quick thinking, and commitment our crossing guards demonstrate every day in service to students and families.
Shshana, Connie, Gwen, Sharon, and Joe represent the unwavering commitment we see from our District’s crossing guards. I thank them for another year ensuring our students are safe, welcome, and cared for on their daily journey to and from school.
Sincerely,
Dr. Macquline King
Superintendent/CEO
Chicago Public Schools
Share Your Good News!
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A Look Around the District
Check out these highlights from schools across our district!
Students and staff at Carver Military Academy in Riverdale honored U.S. veterans and military personnel with a food donation drive. The school collected and donated 2,767 lbs of pantry items to Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin, totaling $10,542 worth of donated goods!
Meanwhile, at Haugan Elementary, located in the Albany Park neighborhood, Parents and community members showed appreciation for their teachers and staff with a free meal at the school's Taco Tuesday event.
At Dirksen Elementary, located in O’Hare, third-grade students celebrated their cultural diversity in a special event, along with parents and community members.
And Taft High School in Old Norwood Park hosted the 3rd annual UPDRAFT Music Festival, bringing together nearly 300 student musicians from 10 different schools across the Northwest Side for a day of music-making, featuring Band, Choir, and Modern Band ensembles. UPDRAFT strengthens local music programs and provides students with a professional-level performance experience through mentorship and peer-to-peer learning!
14 JROTC Students Receive $10,000 College Scholarships
Congratulations to the 14 JROTC students who received $10,000 in scholarship funds this week to support them in pursuing their college education and continued ROTC commitment. CPS recognizes that students pursue many successful postsecondary pathways, including college, workforce training, military service, and civic leadership, all of which contribute meaningfully to their communities and country.
The scholarships received by these JROTC students are named in honor of retired United States Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti. They are a gift from former Chicago Mayor and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and his wife, Amy Rule. Both Admiral Franchetti and Ambassador Emanuel joined the Children First Fund and our JROTC Team at the ceremony celebrating these students for their academic achievements and JROTC leadership.
Announcing New Multilingual Pathways for CPS Students
CPS is pleased to share the expansion of dual-language (DL) and world-language (WL) programs for the 2026–27 school year. DL programs in English/Spanish will be added at Albany Park, Burbank, and Hernandez Elementary Schools, while WL programming will be added in Spanish at Ray and Shoesmith Elementary Schools, and in Mandarin at Walsh Elementary School. These school communities will join nearly 500 CPS schools that currently offer DL and WL programming, and are part of CPS’ planned four-year commitment to enhancing bilingual and biliterate education across Chicago.
Annual Amundsen Scholarship Ceremony Includes Big Surprise!
As it has for the past 25 years, Amundsen High School in Ravenswood welcomed Mr. Daniel Jorndt, former CEO of Walgreens and a member of the Amundsen class of 1959, as the host of its annual scholarship ceremony. Again this year, Mr. Jorndt provided more than $700,000 in support to his alma mater, the vast majority going directly to scholarships for Amundsen’s graduating seniors. These funds are provided through the Amundsen Joy of Teaching, Joy of Learning Foundation, which Mr. Jorndt and his wife announced will now be taken over by their two daughters, both educators. The pair also shared the surprise news that they will continue funding the foundation and annual scholarship awards with a personal donation of $5 million.
Here’s What’s Happening in the Arts This Month
If you want to support our District’s talented student artists, here’s your chance!
The Pre-k–12 All-City Visual Arts Exhibition showcases outstanding 2D, 3D, and time-based artwork by CPS students from all across the District! You can see the exhibition by visiting the Design Museum of Chicago until May 30.
And the 2026 ART on THE MART Collaborative Exhibition highlights selected CPS student artwork from across the city. The program will run on the facade of THE MART on Thursdays through Sundays at approximately 8:30 p.m. from May 21–31. The program can be best viewed and heard from the Chicago Riverwalk Jetty between Wells and Franklin Streets.
Mental Health and Substance Use Resources from the CPS Office of Student Health and Wellness
The CPS Office of Student Health and Wellness’ (OSHW) Mental Health Team is committed to promoting well-being, reducing stigma, and connecting students and staff to meaningful support. Mental health and substance use challenges can affect anyone, impacting relationships, well-being, and academic success — making early identification and supportive environments essential for our school communities. In honor of various mental health and substance use observances, we invite you to review these one-pagers and visit our website for additional resources. Contact mentalhealth@cps.edu with any questions.
Pre-k Applications Now Open for the 2026–27 School Year
We know that getting students in the classroom early is critical for their academic, social, and emotional development. So families are encouraged to visit chicagoearlylearning.com to explore their pre-k options for the 2026–27 school year. Applications are now being accepted for free, full-day programs, which are available to all 4-year-olds, and many half-day programs that are open to 3-year-olds.
Introducing Chicago Youth Works
“Chicago Youth Works,” formerly “One Summer Chicago” is an effort to provide Chicago’s students and young adults with employment in and beyond the summer. Applications are now open for youth ages 14 to 24 to fill an anticipated 29,000 jobs and internships. CPS students can explore options and apply here.
CPS Scoreboard: This Week in District Athletics
High School sports have crowned their first batch of spring champions! Congratulations to our most recent champions:
- Girls Water Polo: Payton / Jones Co-Op
- Boys Water Polo: Whitney Young
- Girls Track and Field: Whitney Young
- Girls Lacrosse: Lane Tech
- Boys Lacrosse: Lane Tech
- Girls Fastpitch Softball: Taft
- Girls Soccer: Lane Tech
- Boys Tennis: Whitney Young
- Boys Track and Field: Whitney Young
- Boys Volleyball: Lane Tech
It was a thriller at Wrigley Field for our baseball city championship between Whitney Young and Taft. The Eagles defeated the Dolphins under the lights in front of a great crowd of CPS students, parents, teachers and community members! This was the first title in baseball for Taft since the 1960’s! Check out the recaps and photo galleries on our Instagram @cpsathletics_
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) playoffs are underway, so make sure to stay up to date on our teams and individual competitors as they close out the spring season! Next up, Whitney Young will look to secure either a third-place or fourth-place finish in the Boys Water Polo State Tournament! For more information, visit ihsa.org.
CPS SCORE!
Spring sports playoffs are underway for our 5-8 grade students! Check out our website for the latest playoff brackets and schedules! This spring will feature the Flag Football and Girls Soccer Championships on May 28, and the Track and Field Championships on May 30. Locations and times still to be determined.
What’s Happening in the Parks
Teens in the Park Fest - Summertime Chi
TIP Fest is back and bigger than ever — live performances, music, beach vibes, BIG creative energy, and nonstop talent from Chicago’s next generation.
The Chicago Park District is looking for talented Chicago residents ages 14-24! Singers, rappers, dancers, spoken-word artists, musicians, poets & more - audition for a paid opportunity to perform at TIP Fest - Beach Edition 2026. Auditions are May 29 & June 5, pull up!
Audition and registration information can be found here!
2026 Night Out in the Parks Schedule Announced!
Join us at Night Out in the Parks across the city. The Chicago Park District, in partnership with local artists and organizations, presents engaging events and performances to amplify the artistic and cultural vibrancy of our city in every neighborhood and enhance the quality of life across Chicago. Visit our website for details.
Lights, camera, action! Movies in the Parks returns this summer, bringing Hollywood movies and local films to local parks for the twenty-sixth season. Join us in the parks for classics from the Golden Age of Hollywood, retro childhood favorites, and the best family-friendly box office hits. You can receive Night Out in the Parks text messages! Get text updates this summer about the Night Out in the Parks program and schedule. Sign up is easy! Text "night out" to (883) 270-0707. Or visit chicagoparkdistrict.com/movies-parks to access the schedule.
Join us this May for FREE fitness classes across the city at one of our 43 classes taught by local park instructors and partners, including one online you can join from the comfort of your home! Click here for more details.
Register for park district day camp (Monday, June 22, 2026–Friday, July 31, 2026) here.
For all questions, please email play@chicagoparkdistrict.com.
Important Dates
For more upcoming events around the District, visit cps.edu/calendar.
- Monday, May 25: CPS offices and schools closed for Memorial Day. No classes for students.
- Thursday, May 28: Board of Education meeting. Learn more at cpsboe.org.
- Thursday, June 4: Last day of school for students.