>> DRAGO SCHOOL FUNDING MODEL IS CHANGING INSTEAD OF BASING SCHOOL FUNDING ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT AS THE DISTRICT HAS DONE FOR THE PAST DECADE, CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS NOW TAKING A NEEDS-BASED APPROACH.

HERE'S CBS CHIEF PEDRO MARTINEZ EXPLAINING WHY HE SAYS THAT CHANGE SHOULD BECOME NECESSARY IN A CONVERSATION WITH US EARLIER THIS MONTH.

>> SO VERY FEW DISTRICTS ACTUALLY USED BASE BUDGETING BECAUSE OF THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.

AND SO WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTRY THAT WAS DOING IT.

AND ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR SCHOOLS ARE LOSING ENROLLMENT WAS HAVING SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR HIGHEST POVERTY AREAS.

>> AND JOINING US TO DISCUSS THE IMPACT OF THIS MAJOR CHANGE.

OUR YOU'RE PARENT AND CHAIR OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL AT LA LANGUAGE ACADEMY.

ABIGAIL, VINCE IS A PARENT AND MEMBER OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL AT MATHER HIGH SCHOOL.

MARIA OWENS, A COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE AND VICE CHAIR OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL FOR HEARST METROPOLITAN HIGH SCHOOL AND HOW WOODS CHIEF POLICY AT KIDS FOR CHICAGO, WHICH WORKS TOWARD SUSTAINABLE PARENT DRIVEN IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS CHICAGO'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

WELCOME ALL OF YOU.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

FIRST, I WANT TO KIND OF LIKE GET A SENSE BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU ALL EVEN THINK THAT THE SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA FOR CPS NEED TO CHANGE THAT THE EXISTING MODEL BROKEN.

AS CBS CEO PEDRO MARTINEZ HAS SUGGESTED YOU'RE START WITH YOU.

>> I THINK SOMETHING PROBABLY DIDN'T NEED TO TRY CAUSE.

I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN UNDERFUNDED AS A DISTRICT FOR AT LEAST THE PAST 5 YEARS.

SO CBS DID HAVE TO COVID MONEY, PROBABLY EAST.

GOT US ALONG THE WAY FOR THE MAJORITY OF THAT TIME.

AND THIS YEAR THE COVID MONEY HAS RUN OUT.

SO SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.

WE GO.

WE I THINK.

>> A MAJORITY OF THE SCHOOLS ARE UNDERFUNDED.

HOPEFULLY THIS NEW BUDGET IS GOING TO HELP FOR COMING YEAR.

I KNOW THAT SELECT DIFFERENT ELEMENTS CAUSE STILL HAVE A BIT MORE FUNDING THAN THOSE LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS.

ALL THAT'S LIKE HELP US GET AN LEVEL RANDY, THINK THOSE SCHOOL FUNDING REALLY NEEDED TO CHANGE.

SO.

>> I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.

AND YES, I LIKE TO SAY, I THINK THIS IS THE NEED TO BE BLOWN UP.

SO I'M SO GLAD THAT THEY MAKING THIS THE THE PROBLEM IS THAT SEEMS AS SOME SCHOOLS WERE GETTING STARVED OUT, WILL GO DOWN IN THE WAS NOT GOING TO BASE YOUR INCOME ON THESE LOWER NUMBERS THAT WE CAUSED.

SO, YES, I THINK IS A THREAT TO SEE A CHANGE.

OKAY.

HOW WOULD I KNOW YOU'RE GOING HAVE A DIFFERENT THAN THE PARENTS WERE TALKING DO YOU THINK THAT THIS NEEDED TO HAPPEN?

>> I THINK RELATED TO WITH ENROLLMENT DECLINE ACROSS EPS FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.

LOST OVER 100,000 STUDENTS IN CPS.

>> I'M HAVING A PURELY ENROLLMENT BASED WAY TO FUND SCHOOLS WAS NO LONGER WORKING.

WE HAD I THINK OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS WE'VE GONE FROM AD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

NOW A 230 AM AND SHE WAS IN A FEWER THAN 130 STUDENTS.

AND WITH STUDENT BASED BUDGETING, IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR THOSE SCHOOLS PROVIDE FOUNDATIONAL TEACHER POSITIONS AT THOSE SCHOOLS.

>> STICKING WITH YOU FOR A SECOND.

HOW IS IT, YOU KNOW, INEVITABLE THAT THIS IS A 0 SUM GAME THAT IN ORDER FOR SOME SCHOOLS TO GET MORE MONEY, OTHERS HAVE TO GET LESS.

>> I THINK IF CPS CAN BRING IN NEW WHICH WE SAW LAST WEEK WITH THE TEACHERS UNION ALSO IT IS GOING TO SPRINGFIELD.

THEY CAN PAY FOR SOME OF THE INCREASE POSITIONS.

YOU'VE JUST SAID ABOUT 8300 POSITIONS OVER THE LAST 6 YEARS FUELED MOSTLY WITH COVID RELIEF DOLLARS.

MISTER RICE SAID THIS COULD REALLY DOLLARS OR THE LAST 200 MILLION IS GOING TO BE NEXT YEAR.

A CPS HAS OVER 681 MILLION DOLLAR STRUCTURAL DEFICIT SO I BUT I DO THINK, YOU WHAT, WE SAW THIS YEAR'S THAT SOME OF THE NEEDS-BASED PROGRAM UPS IS PROVIDING.

THEY'VE ACTUALLY ELIMINATED MAGNETS LIKE ROMAN EXTRA FROM THE ONE TO THOSE SCHOOLS AS A WAY OF BEING ABLE TO DISPERSE FUNDS TO ALL SCOTTISH DISTRICT, HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS.

IF IT WANTS TO INCREASE FUNDING TO NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS OR SCHOOLS WITH LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS, WITH SCHOOLS, WITH STUDENTS, WITH GREATER NEEDS, IT'S HARD WITHOUT NEW REVENUE SOURCES COMING IN TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TAX RESOURCES TO THOSE SCHOOLS.

>> HAVE A GO.

SAYS YOU'RE IN L A C MEMBER.

AS WE MENTIONED THAT MATTER HIGH WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE HOW THIS NEW SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA IMPACT YOUR SCHOOL?

SO IT'S GOING TO HELP THIS YEAR AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY USE THAT MONEY TO HELP US FOR THE NEXT COMING YEARS AS WELL.

>> I'M THAT GO TO THE CPS FORM AND THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH.

AND WE DID LEARN THIS IS A ONE-TIME THING.

SO THAT ADVICE, MY PRINCIPLE THAT WE NEED TO USE THOSE FUNDS.

WISELY.

WE ARE GOING TO WE ARE GOING TO INVEST IN THINGS THAT WILL HELP US DURING THE NEXT COMING ANY SENSE?

BECAUSE WE STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THE SCHOOL BY SCHOOL BUDGETS YET PUBLICLY.

ANY SENSE FOR.

>> HOW MUCH MORE MONEY THE SCHOOL BE GETTING AND AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY MIGHT WANT TO USE THAT FOR WITH WHAT THE SCHOOL NEEDS.

>> AND A LOT ON THE PRINCIPLE IS VERY SURPRISED HOW MUCH WE'VE ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE GOING TO INVEST IS TRANSPORT VANS TO HELP US WITH OUR SPORTS EVENTS AND OUR FIELD TRIPS A MAJORITY OF THE TIME.

WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE BUSING.

AND SO THAT'S GOING TO HELP US IN THE FUTURE.

IF WE GET APPROVED FOR THOSE FANS.

>> MARIA, YOUR PASSION ABOUT THIS.

AS YOU'VE SAID OF HER SON'S BEEN STRUGGLING WITH DECLINING ENROLLMENT.

ONE OF OCPS SCHOOLS.

HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT DO YOU THINK ADDITIONAL ARE?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES EXCUSE ME WILL HAVE ON ON HER HELP STABILIZE EVENT?

I THINK FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE DOING BETTER THAN EXPECTED.

WE ACTUALLY INCREASING FOR THE PAST 2 OR 3 YEARS.

>> OBVIOUSLY ANY INCREASES GREAT.

NOBODY IS GOING TO LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH.

HOWEVER, BECAUSE THERE ARE SUCH A SEVERE NEEDS PRETTY SPECIFIC TO LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.

I THINK THAT, YES, WE'RE GOING TO USE IT TO DO FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TYPE THINGS RESOURCES TO MEET NEEDS SPECIAL NEEDS OF SOME THE STUDENTS.

BUT I THINK THAT THE THE THE STATE AND THAT ACTUALLY GETS THE NATION'S GOING THINK ABOUT PRIORITIZING MONEY IS SPENT ALL PUBLIC FUNDS ACROSS THE STATE, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO BE SHARED, OBVIOUSLY FOR WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THE STATE THINK WE'LL HAVE TO STOP EDUCATION THE MOST PRIORITY MOTIVATION FOR FUNDING.

SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING HE SAID YOU'RE PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.

WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS WAS WRONG WITH THE PREVIOUS FUNDING MECHANISM?

SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT RELEASING IT ON THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS, RIGHT, AND YOU ARE PART OF THE REASON WHEN YOU SAY YOU THE DECISION MAKERS ARE PART OF THE REASON THE NUMBERS ARE DECLINING AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE PENALIZE THE SCHOOL, I KNOW YOUR NUMBERS WENT DOWN.

WELL, YOU TAKE OUT, YOU THIS A AND MUSIC IN THE POOL IN SPORTS TEAMS.

AND THEN YOU WONDER WHY WOULD A 6, 7, 8, GRADE PICK YOUR SCHOOL BY WITH THAT PICK YOUR SCHOOL.

IF THESE THINGS ARE MISSING, WHY ARE THEY MISSING?

BECAUSE YOU TOOK THE MONEY TAKE THEM ANYWAY BECAUSE YOU SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF NUMBERS.

THE NUMBERS IS A VICIOUS CYCLE RIGHT?

NUMBERS GO DOWN IN THE MONEY GOES OUT IN THE NUMBERS, GO DOWN ONE OF DAY.

>> KNOW, DO WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET MORE NUMBERS UP.

BUT I CAN'T DO THAT IN TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT A WITHOUT THE FUNDING, LIKE YOU SAID FOR FOR SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS AND POSITIONS.

>> YOU'RE AND YOUR LSU CHEERLESS OUT MAGNET SCHOOL IN IS ACTUALLY SET TO LOSE RESOURCES.

HOW MUCH OF A BUDGET HIT DO YOU THINK THE SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE TAKING WHAT'S THE IMPACT GOING TO BE?

>> WE WERE PRESIDENT PRETTY MUCH LOW 7 RESOURCES.

>> AND AS A EDITION'S WHEN USING RESOURCES TO THIS, IS SOMETHING SUNS JUST AS A MAGNET PROGRAM IS PRETTY MUCH LANGUAGE PROGRAM AND WE OFFER 4 LANGUAGES.

>> WITH A TEACHERS.

THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL.

THEY ONLY ALLOCATED US ONE LANGUAGE TEACHER.

SO IT'S REALLY DISHEARTENING.

WHEN I HEAR SAY LIKE IT'S NOT.

PROGRAM DECLINING I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S OUR PROGRAM.

OUR CORE PROGRAM IS A LANGUAGE PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR 50 YEARS SO FOR YOU DECIDE NEXT YEAR.

YOU HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH THE WIND.

IT'S KIND TOUGH TOUGH SWALLOW.

WHAT RECOURSE DO YOU HAVE YOU IN THE PRINCIPAL YOU ALL ARGUING WITH THE DISTRICT FOR TO TO BE HELD HARMLESS, MAYBE?

>> YES, THE PRESIDENT BEEN VERY ACTIVE WHAT MY PROCESS GOING BACK TO THE CHIEF.

SHE'S GOTTEN REAL CREATIVE WITH THE PROJECT IS MOVING.

RESOURCES CHIEF THAT THE NETWORK >> JUST OVER RESOURCES AROUND.

WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY PRETTY MUCH LOSE A GYM TEACHER TO FULFILL ONE OF THE WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAMS.

WE'RE PRETTY MUCH DEPLETED.

OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT TO FIND OTHER TEACHERS.

>> HOW WHAT WERE YOU SURPRISED AT THE DISTRICT OPTED TO MAKE THESE CHANGES ALL AT ONCE VERSUS FACE THEM IN OVERTIME?

BECAUSE AS WE'VE THIS IS IS A ONE-TIME AND THEN BUDGETS LEVEL OFF AFTER SO CPS SINCE 2019 HAS BEEN SHIFTING AWAY FROM STUDENT BASED THEY'VE BEEN REDUCING ESSENTIALLY THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT GOES TO SCHOOL THROUGH EASTERN BASED THEY WERE ADDING ALL THESE EXTRA WAYS TO GIVE DOLLARS TO SCHOOLS OF COVID RELIEF DOLLARS GOING THE WAY THEY'RE KIND OF RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS.

I WAS SURPRISED IN THE SENSE THAT AND THE BUDGET ARE THE DISTRICT HAD KIND OF OPEN ROUNDTABLE.

SESSIONS BACK LAST FALL.

THERE WAS NO HINT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THE BUDGETING THIS AND THE LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL MEMBERS GOT NOTIFICATION.

I THINK THE NIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL BUDGETS RELEASED A SCHOOL PRINCIPALS.

I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER HAD THE DISTRICT ACTUALLY WORKED WITH STAKEHOLDERS, SEE MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS.

ONE THING YOU THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM AND IT KIND OF THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PROBABLY THE BETTER DESIGN SYSTEM.

BUT ALSO PEOPLE ARE MORE BOUGHT INTO THE IMPLEMENTATION.

THEY WORK WITH PEOPLE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS.

AND AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE PROCESS HASN'T BEEN QUITE AS PUBLIC USUALLY BY NOW, SCHOOL'S A SCHOOL PRINCIPALS HAVE SEEN THEIR BUDGETS AND THAT HAS ALSO BEEN SHARED.

>> WITH FOLKS LIKE WHAT WHERE DO YOU THINK WE ARE IN THIS PROCESS AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN WE ACTUALLY GET TO SEE THEM?

I THINK IT'S SURPRISING BECAUSE YOU UNDER MAYOR EMANUEL, MAYOR WE HAD THIS PRESS AND ALMOST GOING BACK OVER 10 YEARS OF SCHOOL BY SCHOOL, BUT JUST BEING RELEASED TO THE ENTIRE PUBLIC.

WE CAN RUN ANALYSIS TO SAY OKAY, HOW DISTRICT SCHOOLS FAIRING CHARTER SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, MAGNET SLIGHTER MOMENT.

WE CAN'T DO ANY OF THAT.

RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE GOT 630 SCHOOLS AND THEY'VE ALL INDIVIDUALLY GOT THEIR BUDGETS.

>> BUT THERE'S NO ONE THAT ACTUALLY LOOKING AT A RECENT A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT FOR ANY TYPE OF SCHOOL.

ARE WE SEEING STUDENTS THAT ARE FACING THIS PORTION IMPACT TO THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IS SURPRISING AND HOPEFULLY CAN BE REMEDIED IN FUTURE BUDGET CYCLES.

MARIA, HOW GOOD OF A JOB DO YOU THINK THE DISTRICT HAS DONE COMMUNICATING THESE CHANGES IT?

AND I THINK THAT THE PROBLEM IS HISTORICALLY WITH ALL THIS IS NOT JUST THIS ONE, LIKE THEY MAKE THE DECISIONS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, WHATEVER THE PROCESSES.

>> THEY INTRODUCE IT TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE COMMUNITIES WITH THE A PRETEXT IT OVER INPUT.

BUT REALLY THE IMPETUS IS ALREADY BEEN MADE.

SO IF YOU ASK THE QUESTION HOW STATE GOING TO BE USE YOUR GOOD AS HE'S LIKE, OH, WE'RE JUST GOING TO SUMMARIZE.

IT BE RELEASED.

KNOW.

SO IT'S IT'S NOT TRANSPARENT.

SO YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THESE DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE AND THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU STATED, DON'T HAVE TO BUY IT.

AND IN FACT, YOU FEEL QUITE RESENTFUL BECAUSE THE RESULT YOU THE BATON TO STICK.

ABIGAIL, IT'S GOT ABOUT 10 SECONDS LEFT.

BUT DO YOU THINK THAT PARENTS AT SOME OTHER LIKE SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT MAGNET SCHOOLS DO THINK THAT THERE?

>> PROGRAMMING WILL SUFFER WITH LOW OR RESOURCES TO OR FUNDS.

SUPPOSEDLY THEY'RE NOT.

THEY SAID JUST A ONE-TIME THING.

WE HOPE IN 5 YEARS.

STILL GOING TO HAVE WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW.

>> I'M NOT SURE HOW THEY WANT THEM TO HANDLE OKAY.

YEAH, NO, IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S HARD TO SAY ISN'T THAT WILL HAVE TO