Chicago committee approves $5M for public school project

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Chicago aldermen are planning to spend more tax increment financing dollars on Chicago Public Schools, even though CPS employees owe the city more than $4 million.

The City Council Committee on Finance approved a motion to provide up to $5 million in TIF funds for work on Mollison Elementary School on the city’s South Side.

Chicago Public Schools Executive Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Jamel Chambers said CPS would provide the remaining $3 million for the $8 million project.

“TIF funding would allow CPS to renovate the current facade and provide associated exterior improvements to create a safe and welcome entrance for students and staff,” Chambers said.

Alderman Raymond Lopez said a recent inspector general’s report showed that CPS workers owe more than $4 million in debt, including overdue charges and unpaid fines.

“They are all collecting paychecks from the taxpayers. They all owe this body money, and you are here today asking us for $5 million when you owe us $4 million,” Lopez said.

CPS recently projected a budget deficit of $732.5 million for the 2026-27 school year.

“What we do need to do is have the Board of Education and Chicago Public Schools take seriously what we are asking when we say, ‘Start dealing with the scofflaws within your employees,’” Lopez said.

If the full council approves the $5 million TIF sweep when it meets on Wednesday, the move would follow a roughly $1 billion sweep of TIF funds to CPS by the council last December.

Days earlier, the Chicago Board of Education raised its property tax levy from 3.8% to 4.7% during what board president Sean Harden called a “special” meeting held during the district’s winter break.

Before the board voted, CPS Acting Chief Financial Officer Wally Stock said CPS ended fiscal year 2025 with a negative cash flow of $339 million, or $485 million worse than fiscal year 2024.

CPS budgets have increased by more than 50% over the last decade. According to the Civic Federation, CPS’ adopted budget appropriations increased from $6.4 billion in fiscal year 2016 to $9.9 billion in fiscal year 2025.

CPS has proposed a $10 billion budget for next school year.