CHICAGO — Students at Chicago Public Schools battled the heat and budget cuts as they headed back to class this week.
On Monday, CPS students returned to the classroom for the fall semester and a lot of changes are in store for the year ahead.
While the first day of classes started off with extreme heat, forcing the cancellation of outdoor events, other issues included budget shortfalls and the lack of available bus drivers.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke outside Chalmers Elementary in North Lawndale as students geared up for the new year, offering a message to parents.
“So keep putting your arms around them and ask for support and help when you need it,” Jonson said.
But there is not enough help for more than 1,000 eligible students, at last report, when it comes to school bus service. Not to mention buses for 5,500 magnet and selective enrollment students.
Chicago Public School’s CEO Pedro Martinez focused on the new year’s challenges.
A district spokesperson said in a written statement that all CPS classrooms were equipped with air conditioners and that all outdoor athletic contests had been canceled through Tuesday and outdoor practices had been moved indoors.
The new school year comes as Martinez is quite possibly on a collision course with the Chicago Teacher’s Union as the CTU raises objections to tough decisions he made to make up a half-billion-dollar budget deficit.
But for parent Gustavo Cuevas, who was picking up his kids at George Washington High School on the city’s East Side, he said he sees improvements.
“I love the school. All my kids graduated from here,” Cuevas said.
In a written statement, the Chicago Teachers Union said that Monday’s extreme heat highlights the need for decisive action when it comes to modernizing the district’s aging school buildings.