Dive Brief:
- A new proposal announced by Illinois Republicans would enable state control over Chicago Public Schools, allow the district to file for bankruptcy, and implement school board elections.
- The district, Reuters reports, has a structural budget deficit topping $1 billion on top of junk credit ratings.
- Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Democrats in the state's legislature are strongly opposed to the plan, and Emanuel previously saw a request for $500 million for the district rejected by the state.
Dive Insight:
Chicago Public Schools are in disarray, with an ongoing corruption probe into the district and its leadership, as well as the sizable budget deficit. In October, CPS also misreported its graduation rate as 69%, instead of what it actually was: 66%. Teacher strikes and the guilty plea of the district's most recent CEO, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, who took kickbacks from a $20.5 million no-bid contract, has rattled public faith in education officials. Furthermore, the district is expected to announce layoffs Friday.
Still, with Democrats controlling the state Legislature, the new announcement of the Republican proposal for CPS may not get very far. If it does, it's worth noting the mixed results of state takeovers: Both Michigan's Education Achievement Authority district in Detroit and New Jersey's takeover of Newark have been criticized for failing to achieve promised school turnarounds.
