WEST RIDGE — As Chicago Public Schools’ financial woes persist, dozens of principals at area schools who thought the worst of budget cuts were over are now getting word that special education positions could be impacted.
Stone Scholastic Academy, an elementary school at 6239 N. Leavitt in West Ridge, could see two fewer special education teachers and two fewer aides from its roster, according to a spreadsheet of potential budget "adjustments" released by CPS Friday. Though CPS said the adjustments were linked to student enrollment, the school saw no change in its expected enrollment of 626 students.
Calls to CPS were not immediately returned.
Meeting minutes from a July Local School Council meeting at Stone show the school originally expected six special education positions for the current school year.
Each CPS school is given a budget for the year over the summer based on the number of students expected to attend, with each student being worth a specific amount in school funds — known as student-based budgeting.
Ten days after school starts, CPS compares the expected amounts with actual counts and re-adjusts its budget per school.
According to the district, after 10th day enrollment numbers were in, the number of enrollees at Stone did not change, but still cost them the four positions and $307 of their budget.
They also have $24,207 in unused funds held in a "contingency account" — a new practice that allows schools to hold about 1 percent of their annual budget aside "specifically for unexpected contingencies," CPS says on its website.
Stone was among several West Ridge area schools that did not see major cuts at the beginning of the school year, but rather was given a $19,752 bump from CPS.
In effort to save money throughout the district, CPS also announced — then reneged — on changing the school start and end times at dozens of schools across the city, including Stone.
After concentrated push back from Principal Barbara Onofrio, LSC members and parents, CPS ultimately agreed to keep Stone's time at 8 a.m.
A Stone representative could not be reached for comment.
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