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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and interim Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King rang a ceremonial bell bright and early Monday morning to mark the first day of school.
The event was held at Courtenay Language Arts Center, where King served as principal from 2013 to 2022. King was picked in June to take over the helm of the nation’s fourth largest school district six months after the school board voted to fire Pedro Martinez, who clashed with Johnson over how to balance the district’s budget.
King and Johnson posed for pictures together, striking a more congenial tone than the mayor and previous CEO did during their appearance together last year on the first day of school. The two worked together in City Hall, where King was senior director of educational policy in the mayor’s office before becoming interim CEO.
The two may also be at odds, however, over how to balance the district’s budget. Last week, King put forward a budget plan that does not include a reimbursement to the city to pay a portion of a pension payment that partially covers school district employees. The proposal says CPS would only contribute if it finds additional revenue. The 21-member school board is also divided over the proposal, with Johnson’s allies urging King to include the city pension reimbursement and consider taking out a loan to cover costs.
CPS is starting the school year for the first time in recent memory without a budget. In 2016, facing a similarly difficult financial outlook, Chicago’s school board approved a budget in late August, but that year, the school year started after Labor Day.
The school board must legally adopt a spending plan by Aug. 29 and is expected to vote on a plan Aug. 28.
Students and families may notice some changes in classrooms this year related to both budget cuts and the new Chicago Teachers Union contract. These include smaller class sizes in the early grades, additional teaching assistants, fewer hot meals, fewer custodians, and adjusted bell times at about two dozen campuses.
Becky Vevea is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago. Contact Becky at bvevea@chalkbeat.org. Colin Boyle is the photo editor at Block Club Chicago.
