LAKEVIEW — Blaine Elementary School's parking lot at Southland Avenue and Grace Street is just a short, 10-minute walk to Wrigley Field.
For some Cubs fans, that's worth the $40 price tag to park there.
And for the school, that's worth about $60,000 each year.
As administrators contend with $60 million in cuts districtwide, schools like Blaine are seeking out alternative lines of revenue from untraditional sources.
From allowing cell phone towers to renting out schools for summer camps to leasing space for church services, schools are opening their doors in hopes of off-setting rising costs.
Blaine and other Lakeview schools are far from the hardest hit, but they are still hoping to expand offerings to attract more students in a district where student-based budgeting is, in reality, "sacrifice-based," said Blaine Principal Troy LaRaviere.
In addition to the handy Cubs parking, Blaine will receive at least $50,000 for renting out the school building to Steve and Kate's Camp during the summer. A handful of other Chicago schools do the same.
It's not the first year Blaine has played host to the camp, but with $175,167 in budget cuts expected, the Local School Council and LaRaviere are considering new ways to remain "excellent."
Ariel Cheung says schools struggle to find new ways to raise money:
'Money follows students'
Both Blaine and Hamilton elementary schools are considering drawing from their wait lists to increase the pool of students for which they receive money.
While Hamilton is actually expecting a $219,471 boost in student-based money thanks to a large incoming kindergarten, its council still sought ways to better the school.
Principal James Gray said he was drawn to the idea of being the only non-magnet elementary school to offer instruction in four fine arts: art, music, drama and dance.
"That's kind of the mantra from CPS: Money follows students. We held on to the teachers we have, but we could use more teachers," Gray said, particularly a second full-time teacher for physical education.
Adding two or three more students in classrooms of 22-25 would bring in enough to consider the extra hires, Gray said, although he promised to cap primary classes to 28 and middle school classes to 31.
At Blaine, LaRaviere noted that adding 25 students spread out in second, fourth and seventh grade classes would bring in $100,000.
However, both principals warned that union contract negotiations could throw a wrench in budgeting plans if teachers "get the raises they deserve," with even 1 percent raises totaling around $50,000 at Blaine.
Pounding the pavement
Blaine isn't the only school using every bit of space to its advantage — Ogden International School gets $250,000 to lease its parking garage to Gibsons Restaurant Group. The school also increased student fees for K-8 to $250, matching its high school.
A.N. Pritzker School in Wicker Park rents out its auditorium for weekly church services and rents out its parking lot, as well. From Zipcar parking spots to cell phone towers, the list keeps changing as schools try to keep pace with cuts.
It's not easy: Despite parking garage revenue, Ogden plans on spending its reserves to ensure it can keep all its teachers next year, and LSC Chair Tracy Shine emphasized that holding on to extra cash could otherwise be used against them politically.
"CPS could look at that $250,000 and say 'we don't need to give you anything,'" she said.
Excellence over function
Despite their best efforts, school officials fear the new streams of revenue won't be enough. Even with Cubs parking and the summer camp, Blaine had a $65,000 hole to fill.
During the Local School Council's budget meeting last week, LaRaviere said the school could "cut from the top of the pyramid" to balance the budget, shedding nonessential services and personnel like high school planning, technology, a dean of students and extra counselors.
The council was unwilling to make those sacrifices, they voted Wednesday. LaRaviere said the Blaine council rejected the proposed budget, despite a districtwide deadline Friday.
"These things help move a school from being functional to being excellent. These are the things that get sacrificed when there are budget cuts, and we move less toward being excellent and effective and more toward being functional," LaRaviere told the Local School Council.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
