Chicago Public Schools board members passed a $10.2 billion budget that could have been worse. They got in this mess because expenditures have ballooned $2.4 billion since 2020, largely because 7,927 workers were added.

The Chicago Public Schools board is set to vote on the district’s 2025-2026 budget on Aug. 28. It must close a $734 million budget hole, but the district’s finances are a mess.

Students returned to their Chicago public schools on Aug. 18. The most recent test data available for Chicago students shows there’s a lot of room for improvement in the new school year.

Chicago Public Schools has 275 buildings that are too empty. On average, over 1-in-3 school desks is empty. The Chicago Teachers Union unrelentingly forces that big waste on CPS as administrators scramble to close a $734 million budget shortfall.

The Chicago Teachers Union’s refusal to close near-empty schools and push for more “sustainable community schools” is hurting student achievement. CTU is about adding members and escaping accountability, not about what’s best for Chicago students.