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Chicago Public Schools students may see fewer hot school meals, delays in updating technology, fewer crossing guards, and other changes at their campuses this coming school year as the district tightens its budget.
That heads-up came in a note to families from the district’s Chief Operations Officer Charles Mayfield on Friday afternoon, a time when CPS has repeatedly sent updates about cost-cutting in recent weeks.
In the note, sent roughly three weeks before the Aug. 18 start of the school year, Mayfield wrote that students and educators will feel some day-to-day changes related to the district’s efforts to close a $734 million budget deficit.
“While these adjustments will impact how some services are delivered, our priority is to ensure that every CPS student continues to receive a high-quality education in a safe, clean, and supportive environment,” Mayfield wrote.
It was not immediately clear whether the changes Mayfield detailed reflect layoffs and other budget cuts reported earlier in July, or if some represent additional cuts. CPS spokespeople did not immediately respond to questions. The district is getting ready to unveil its overall 2025-26 budget in August amid deep uncertainty about how it will address its budget gap.
Changes to custodial and engineering staff will mean adjusted cleaning schedules and likely delays in non-emergency repairs and other school maintenance, Mayfield wrote.
Fewer kitchen workers will result in simplified menus and more cold meals, even as the district continues to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all its students. After-school programs that currently serve hot meals will start providing packaged snacks.
A Chalkbeat analysis comparing staffing levels in the proposed 2025-26 school budgets to those in last year’s budgets showed the new budgets include 238 fewer lunchroom workers and 220 fewer non-teaching discretionary staff.
The district will also curtail its crossing guard and Safe Passage programs, though Mayfield stressed that no school will lose either program entirely. The city of Chicago used to cover the cost of the district’s crossing guard program, but shifted what was then a $14 million program to CPS amid the pandemic. Some of the recent cuts impacted routes serving private schools.
The email indicated that reduced funding will impact schools’ ability to offer health services, like physical exams and vaccinations. Mayfield said the district would work with families to help them access these services elsewhere. And the Healthy CPS Hotline at 773-553-KIDS (5437) would continue to provide health information and help families apply for public benefits, albeit with a reduced staff.
Mayfield also referenced changes to bell times at 22 district schools to help with providing transportation to more students, a shift the district first announced during Thursday’s school board meeting.
“We recognize that these changes may create challenges for students and families, and we will work hand-in-hand with our school communities to make the adjustments as smooth as possible,” Mayfield wrote.
He said families will hear directly from their schools with more details on how the changes impact each campus in the coming days.
Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Mila at mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org.
