LINCOLN SQUARE — Chicago Public Schools released school budgets Monday and several North Side high schools suffered huge hits.
Lane Tech College Prep High School was socked with $978,000 in cuts, Schurz High School lost $971,000 compared against last year, and Roosevelt High School's budget was slashed $872,000.
One of the biggest blows was dealt to Jahn Elementary in North Center where $832,000 in cuts represents a precipitous 33 percent drop in funds.
“No one would argue that these are the budgets that we would like to be presenting, but they reflect the reality of where we are today,” said interim CPS CEO Jesse Ruiz. “We have tried to limit the impact on our classrooms, but we sympathize with teachers, parents and principals whose schools will be seeing fewer resources than last year.”
District-wide, CPS Chief Financial Officer Ginger Ostro said 416 schools would suffer budget cuts, for a total of $99.5 million, while funding at 238 schools would increase.
Ted Cox breaks down CPS' cuts and how the CTU is responding:
The gains and losses were largely linked to enrollment counts. Since the 2013-14 school year, CPS has funded schools on a per-pupil basis, providing $4,697 for every kindergarten through third grade student; $4,390 for every fourth through eighth grade student; and $5,444 for every high school student.
"Money follows the students," Ostro said, adding that projected CPS enrollment for the coming school year is down about 1 percent from last year.
Schurz High School's near million-dollar loss, for example, is directly linked to 186 fewer students in the fall.
At the other end of the scale, Disney II Magnet, in growth mode as it adds grades, saw its budget jump $818,000 or more than 15 percent.
But per pupil dollars aren't schools' only funding sources. Budgets also include "supplemental" monies provided by state and federal programs, typically tied to low-income at-risk students.
That's how Northside College Prep, despite adding students in the 2015-16 school year, wound up losing more than $400,000, almost all of it in supplemental funding. The story's the same at Edison Regional Gifted Center, where a drop in supplemental funds makes up the majority of the school's $156,000 loss.
Meanwhile, bumps in supplemental dollars helped put Ravenswood Elementary and Von Steuben High School in the black.
Other schools should have felt the pinch in 2013 or 2014, but the pain was deferred when CPS allowed schools to keep money allocated to them despite coming up short on enrollment projections. These "hold harmless" funds bolstered scores of schools' bottom lines in years past, but are now on the books as deficits.
Roosevelt is saddled with $208,000 in hold harmless funds and Lane Tech with more than $300,000 — money the schools received last year that they won't this year — on top of enrollment declines of 93 and 87 students respectively.
It wasn't all bad news, though.
Amundsen principal Anna Pavichevich took to Facebook to announce: "For the first time in three years, we will not face deep cuts."
Between increased per pupil and supplemental funds, Amundsen posted a $254,000 gain.
"We are grateful to the community for their support and believe that our growing enrollment is a reflection of your commitment to our school," Pavichevich posted to the social media site.
High Schools by the Numbers
- Amundsen High School: An uptick in enrollment led to an $81,000 increase in per pupil funding. In all, the school's budget is up 3.2 percent over last year.
- Lane Tech: The loss of 87 students equated to a $465,000 decrease in per pupil funding. The total deficit of $938,000 represents a loss of 3.6 percent against Lane's overall $25 million budget.
- Northside College Prep: Northside's per pupil funding is actually up nearly $15,000, but that was no match for the school's loss of supplemental and hold harmless funds. The state's top performing school is taking a 5.7 percent budget hit.
- Roosevelt High School: Per pupil, supplemental and hold harmless budget lines are all in the red. Roosevelt's 2015-16 funds shrank by 8.6 percent versus last year.
- Schurz High School: The school's supplemental funds are up more than $120,000 but that didn't come close to erasing per pupil losses, which contributed to a 6 percent budget decrease.
- Von Steuben High School: Another winner this budget cycle. A more than $275,000 gain in supplemental funds boosted Von Steuben to a $140,000 or 1.2 percent total increase.
Elementary and Middle Schools: Lincoln Square, North Center, Ravenswood and Roscoe Village
- Audubon Elementary: Hold harmless proved Audubon's albatross, dragging the school into the red. The school's total budget is down $37,000 or 4.3 percent.
- Bell Elementary: Bell's loss of three students and the per pupil dollars that follow them was negligible compared with supplemental and hold harmless hits. The school's deficit totaled $187,000 or 3.3 percent.
- Budlong Elementary School: A drop in supplemental funds is behind nearly all of Budlong's $72,000 or 1.6 percent budget loss.
- Chappell Elementary: A small dip in enrollment coupled with a decrease in supplemental funds led to a total budget loss of $166,000 or 5.5 percent.
- Coonley Elementary: With a projected enrollment increase of 66 students, Coonley's gains in per pupil dollars more than compensated for a small drop in supplemental funds. The school's budget is up $240,000 or 5.6 percent over last year.
- Jahn Elementary: Jahn's woes include the loss of 28 students and a whopping $487,000 hold harmless hole. The school's deficit is nearly $832,000 or a 33 percent decrease.
- McPherson Elementary: Enrollment is holding steady at the school but a steep drop in supplemental funds — $146,000 — along with $133,000 in hold harmless contributed to a $295,000 or 6.5 percent decrease in funds.
- Ravenswood Elementary: Ravenswood has felt the sting in past budget cycles of the loss of supplemental funds, but for 2015-16, those monies are up more than $80,000. The school's total budget increased $122,000 or nearly 5 percent.
- Waters Elementary: A projected decrease of 11 students, coupled with a hefty hold harmless hit of $242,000, led to a total budget loss of $286,000 or 8 percent.
Elementary and Middle Schools: Albany Park, Irving Park, Mayfair, North Mayfair and North Park
- Albany Park Multicultural Academy: Increases in per pupil and supplemental funds to the tune of $40,000 or 2.4 percent.
- Bateman Elementary: The cuts weren't as deep at Bateman, which is down $30,000 or .5 percent from last year.
- Belding Elementary: Losses across budget categories total $188,000 or 5.7 percent.
- Disney II Magnet: The addition of 123 students translated to a $673,000 increase in per pupil funds . Further gains in supplemental dollars brought the school's total budget up 15.4 percent or $818,000.
- Edison Regional Gifted Center: This selective enrollment school isn't hurting for students but its supplemental funding plummeted, accounting for nearly all of Edison's $156,000 budget cuts, totaling 8.2 percent.
- Haugen Elementary: As close to "no change" as it gets. Haugen's budget was shaved $6,899 or .11 percent versus last year.
- Patrick Henry Elementary: The loss of 18 students on top of $117,000 in those dread hold harmless funds added up to a $120,000 or 3.1 percent decrease for Patrick Henry, even with the infusion of nearly $80,000 in supplemental funds.
- Hibbard Elementary: A sizable dip of 45 students along with hold harmless contributed to Hibbard's stiff 6.7 percent or $467,000 budget loss.
- Marshall Middle School: Enrollment continues to drop as Marshall is being phased out. The school lost $364,000 or 37 percent of its budget.
- Murphy Elementary: Down 22 students and $27,000 in supplemental funds, Murphy's budget losses total $92,000 or 2.9 percent.
- North River Elementary: The school's enrollment is on par with last year but supplemental dollars are down and hold harmless losses amount to $57,000. North River's budget cuts total $104,000 or 5.4 percent.
- Palmer Elementary: Decreases in per pupil funds and hold harmless dollars combined for a $183,000 loss or 3.7 percent.
- Peterson Elementary: Gains in per pupil dollars — enrollment is up 22 students — were canceled out by losses in supplemental and other funds. Peterson's budget is down a total of $37,000 or .7 percent.
- Volta Elementary: The school expect to enroll 24 fewer students in the fall. The resulting decrease in per pupil and supplemental dollars, plus a hold harmless hit of $150,000, total $309,000 or 5 percent.
Charter Schools:
- Aspira Haugen Middle School: Funding increasing $139,000 or 2.8 percent, the majority coming from supplemental dollars.
- CICS-Irving Park: A whopping $191,000 gain in supplemental funds offset decreases elsewhere. The school saw a total increase of $88,000 or 1.9 percent.
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