EDUCATION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE DISTRICT'S NEARLY 10 BILLION DOLLAR SPENDING PLAN TODAY.

BUT CRITICS OF THE BUDGET SAY THE DISTRICT IS RELYING ON STATE STAFF VACANCIES TO PLUG ITS 505 MILLION DOLLARS FUNDING GAP.

WBTW NEWS REPORTER MATT MASTERSON JOINS US NOW WITH MORE NOW.

MATT, GIVE GIVE US ALL THE DETAILS.

TELL US WHAT CHALLENGES CPS WAS FACED WITH WHILE ORGANIZING THE BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR AND HOW THEY DECIDED TO HANDLE SO CPS ALREADY FACED A NEARLY 400 MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT BECAUSE COVID FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS SET TO RUN OUT THIS YEAR OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND WEEKS.

THEY'VE RUN INTO ADDITIONAL COST ISSUES FROM HEALTH CARE, SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS THAT BROUGHT ANOTHER 100 MILLION DOLLARS ON TO THAT HAVE BRING IT UP TO.

AS YOU SAID, 505 MILLION DOLLARS.

CPS CEO PEDRO MARTINEZ TODAY SAID THE GOAL WAS TO KEEP THOSE CUTS THAT THEY NEEDED TO BALANCE ITS BUDGET OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.

SO THEY TRIED TO RELY INSTEAD ON REDUCTIONS TO CENTRAL ACADEMIC IN OPERATIONAL BUDGETS, GRANT FUNDING AND THEY RELIED ON INCREASED VACANCY SAVINGS WHICH IS PART OF THE WITH THAT HAS BEEN RAISED BY CHICAGO TEACHERS, UNION AND OTHER GROUPS THE DISTRICT SAYS THIS IS A BALANCED BUDGET, BUT THERE WERE CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THE DISTRICT'S FINANCES.

IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO FIND OTHER FINANCIAL REVENUE STREAMS IN YEARS COMING.

SO THE CUTS WERE ENOUGH TO GET THROUGH THIS YEAR, BUT THERE COULD BE BIGGER PROBLEMS ON THE HORIZON FUTURE YEARS.

AS WE KNOW, THERE'S BEEN MANY OPINIONS OUTSIDE GROUPS HAVE WEIGHED IN ON THE BUDGET, INCLUDING THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION WHO FOCUS MUCH OF THE CONCERN ON THE STAFF VACANCIES IN THE DISTRICT.

LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.

BUDGET CBS SHOWS AND OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIND CREATIVE FUNDING SOLUTIONS TO GET US CLOSER TO BEING A TRANSFORMATIVE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THE BOARD HAS ITS OWN EQUITABLE FUNDING FORMULA RIGHT?

THEY'VE STOPPED STUDENT BASE BUDGETING.

THEY SAY THEY WANT TO GIVE MORE INTO THE CLASSROOM.

HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

IF YOU'RE CUTTING PARA PROFESSIONALS, HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

IF YOU'RE CUTTING OR START OF JUSTICE PERSONNEL?

MATT, WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS OUT THERE?

SO UNION LAW AS THEY SAID, THEY WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CAN SEE.

CPS SAYS IT'S ACTUALLY BRINGING IN MORE EMPLOYEES FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

BUT THE PROBLEM THAT THE UNION HAS THAT CUTTING AIDES AND PARAPROFESSIONALS WHO COULD ASSIST IN IN CLASSROOM SETTINGS, EDUCATION EDUCATORS AND STAFFERS WHO SPOKE TODAY.

THEY SAID THAT THIS BUDGET IS BALANCED ON THE BACK OF INDICATORS WERE LOSING THEIR JOBS, HAVING THEIR POSITIONS CUT.

AS I SAID, THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT REMAIN ABOUT THE FUTURE OF CPS, HIS FINANCES.

THE DISTRICT SAYS THAT THEY'RE OWED MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS IN STATE FUNDING FROM EQUITABLE FUNDING FORMULA.

AND CBS ALSO HAS TO COVER HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TEACHER PENSION COSTS THAT ARE TYPICALLY COVERED BY THE STATE FOR OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND ILLINOIS.

BOTH THE DISTRICT AND THE TEACHERS UNION KNOW THAT MORE FUNDING IS NECESSARY FOR CHICAGO WITHOUT IT.

DISTRICT OFFICIALS SAID TODAY THAT BUDGETARY DEFICITS COULD EXCEED 1 BILLION DOLLARS IN THE NEXT 5, 6 YEARS.

THAT SOLEIMANI WHAT HAPPENS FROM HERE?

YEAH, I'M SO THEY NEED TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THAT.

THEY'VE BEEN WORKING IN SPRINGFIELD TRYING TO GET THAT FUNDING FROM THE STATE.

BUT IT HASN'T BEEN AN EASY PROCESS.

BOTH THE UNION AND CPS OFFICIALS HAVE GONE THERE TOGETHER AND TRY TO PUT UP A UNIFIED FRONT.

BUT THEY HAVEN'T GOT THAT MONEY.

SO