Cook County property tax delays hit Evanston, other schools

By LyLena Estabine

01/29/2026

Cook County’s delayed property tax bills are straining school districts with nearly $122 million in unexpected, unneeded costs.

Vallas: Record-high property tax increase is Preckwinkle’s reelection baggage

By Paul Vallas

01/27/2026

Record Cook County property tax hikes under Toni Preckwinkle expose a fundamentally broken system, benefitting insiders and costing everyone else.

TAGS: Toni Preckwinkle

Chicago Public Schools students thrive through academic rigor

By Lilly Rossi, Hannah Schmid

01/22/2026

Chicago Public Schools’ school choice experiment is working: students at the city’s selective enrollment schools are thriving.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago Public Schools spends a lot on empty desks

By Lilly Rossi

01/12/2026

The emptiest Chicago Public Schools building held just 3% of its capacity and cost nearly $55,000 per student.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Over 600 Chicago teachers hit Sin City on taxpayers’ dime

By Lilly Rossi

12/31/2025

Using taxpayer dollars intended to educate children, over 600 Chicago Public Schools staffers exploited lax rules to take luxury trips to Las Vegas.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public School staff jet-sets overseas on tax dollars

By Lilly Rossi

12/26/2025

Lax rules, poor oversight let millions of taxpayer dollars be used for foreign travel – including safaris and camel rides – for Chicago Public Schools staff.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Chicago gets $16.6B budget after mayor refuses to veto

By Brad Weisenstein, Ravi Mishra

12/23/2025

Chicago avoided a city shutdown when Mayor Brandon Johnson accepted the alternative budget aldermen passed despite his wishes.

TAGS: Chicago, taxes

Chicago adopts $16.6B budget, adds $535M in taxes

By Ravi Mishra

12/20/2025

Chicago aldermen for the first time pushed through their own budget, rejecting the mayor’s effort to impose a job-killing head tax. There are other taxes.

TAGS: Chicago, taxes

Nearly 30,000 Chicago teachers are caught in pension trap

By LyLena Estabine

12/01/2025

Half of retired Chicago pensioners make more than average working Illinoisans, but nearly 30,000 teachers won’t be eligible for more than a contribution refund.

Vallas: Chicago needs education reform to curb youth violence epidemic

By Paul Vallas

11/28/2025

Fixing Chicago’s schools is the surest way to stop youth violence. Softening education standards will perpetuate the harm.

Chicago Public Schools

Cook County property tax delays hit Evanston, other schools

Vallas: Record-high property tax increase is Preckwinkle’s reelection baggage

Chicago Public Schools students thrive through academic rigor

Chicago Public Schools spends a lot on empty desks

Over 600 Chicago teachers hit Sin City on taxpayers’ dime

Chicago Public School staff jet-sets overseas on tax dollars

Chicago gets $16.6B budget after mayor refuses to veto

Chicago adopts $16.6B budget, adds $535M in taxes

Nearly 30,000 Chicago teachers are caught in pension trap

Vallas: Chicago needs education reform to curb youth violence epidemic

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students