Committee on Education and Child Development
City Council Meeting October 18, 2017
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Chicago Public Schools had more than 381,000 students in 2016-2017; and
WHEREAS, more than 52,000 of CPS students received special education services in 2016-2017; and
WHEREAS, CPS has an operating budget of $5.7 billion, of which approximately $900 million is used to fund special education; and
WHEREAS, it is the legal and moral obligation of the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois to provide public education to all students regardless of a student's disability; and
WHEREAS, the Chicago Public Schools are funded by taxpayers, with more than half of taxpayer dollars going to the Board of Education; and
WHEREAS, recent media investigations have exposed a routine of opaque and obfuscated financial practices specific to special education dollars; and
WHEREAS, these investigations have further exposed the failure of CPS to provide special education services and fulfill education plan requirements; and
WHEREAS, the failure to fulfill legally binding education plans may lead to legal and financial liability on the part of CPS; and
WHEREAS, despite taxpayers' investment in schools, figures show that the City of Chicago has cut special education funding to CPS by more $32 Million to date and has made deep cuts to special education providers and staff; and
WHEREAS, these cuts cause significant harm to the educational progress and access to education of disabled students; and
WHEREAS, these cuts further cause significant emotional, financial and social costs to students and their families; and
WHEREAS, the ongoing financial instability of Chicago Public Schools has created an inconsistent and undependable operation; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and the members of City Council demand that the leadership of Chicago Public Schools, Chief Executive Officer Forrest
Claypool, Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson and Head of Special Education Eliz...
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