And can kindly take your seats so we can begin the meeting? President Harden, before I begin today's meeting, I would like to read a few announcements. Good morning. Welcome to the 02/26/2026 board meeting. Before we start the meeting, I would like to share a few safety points and next meeting announcements. Please note that the primary exit and entrance to the boardroom is the door which you used to enter this morning. If you're leaving the room, please use this door. The restrooms are outside the boardrooms to your left. During the meeting, we ask that you keep all aisles and exits clear. If you need any assistance during the meeting, please wave the attention of one of
our security officers. Please mark your calendars for the upcoming meetings. The next ARC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 03/04/2026 at 10:30AM. The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 03/19/2026 at three at 10:30AM. The ARC and board meetings will be held at 42 West Madison Street Garden Level Boardroom. For details on how to register to speak or observe at the meetings and to learn about the speaker lottery process, please visit the Chicago Board of Education website at cpsboe.org. If you have any questions about registration or public participation, please contact the board office
for assistance. Thank you for joining us today. President Harden, we are now ready for you to begin the meeting. Morning, everyone. Welcome to the Chicago Board of Education meeting. Today is 02/26/2026. We are holding today's board meeting in the boardroom at CPS Loop office, 42 West Madison Street Garden Level. I'd like to note that the board members, honorary student board member, and senior leadership are physically present in the boardroom. Registered speakers may join us in person or or virtually if they've opted to do so. I'm president Sean b Harden.
On behalf of my fellow board members, thank you for joining us today. The regular meeting of Thursday, 02/26/2026 is hereby called to order. Board secretary, please call the roll. Member Smith? Here. Member Lopez? Present. Member Velez? Here. Member Boyle? Here. Member Wallace? Present. Member Custer? Present. Member Pope? Here. Member Rosenfeld? Present. Member Rivas? Present. Member Brown? Present. Member Bennett? Present. Member Gutierrez? Present. Member Biggs? Present. Member Thodakurra? Present. Member Blaze?
Present. Member Zachor? Present. Member De Berry? Present. President Harden? Present. There are 18 members present. We do have a quorum. I'd also like to recognize doctor Macklin King, interim superintendent chief executive officer, Elizabeth Barton, acting general counsel, doctor Alfonso Carmona, acting chief education officer, Charles Mayfield, chief operating officer, and Destiny Singleton, our honorary student board member. As we begin today's board meeting, we do so in the wake of the honorable
reverend Jesse l Jackson junior's passing senior's passing. And before we get into the business portion of today's meeting, please allow me a few minutes to say a few words about the positive impact reverend Jackson has had directly on Chicago Public Schools. Reverend Jackson never lost sight of how important it is to pour into people. And as a states Excuse me. President Hardin, I'm sorry. Can you put your mic closer to you? Absolutely. Thank you. As a statesman, he uses incredible convening power to drive action, and that action included
on education. He established the push for excellence, MLK breakfast, which celebrates doctor Martin Luther King Junior's work by bringing together community members, civic leaders, and business leaders to raise money for scholarships. More students in Chicago so that students in Chicago can pursue higher education. He went on to lead this effort every year for thirty six years, raising more than $20,000,000 in scholarships for thousands of students across the city.
His dedication to education and mobilizing far and wide to make a difference in is his legacy, and his legacy is our call to action. We have our work cut cut out for us, and then the galvanizing words of the honorable reverend, we will not stop. So please join me in a moment of silence as we recognize the extraordinary life, legacy, and profound impact of the civil rights icon, reverend Jesse l Jackson senior. Thank you. The order of the meeting will be as follows.
We'll begin with honoring excellence, interim superintendent CEO remarks, committee updates, public participation, recess. We'll reconvene from recess. There'll be a presentation on the capital planning process for fiscal year '27. There'll be a discussion on public agenda items. We'll vote on public agenda items, go into call session, reconvene from call session, and then we'll adjourn. President Harden, before you proceed, for the record, note that the following board report is
being withdrawn. R s three, resolution approving interim superintendent chief executive officer's recommendation to dismiss probationary appointed teacher. President Harden, this resolution is being withdrawn. Nicholas Davis resigned effective 02/26/2026. Thank you. We'll begin with acting chief Carmona. Please proceed with honor and excellence. Thank you, president Martin. Good morning. Today's honor and excellence segment showcases our district's unwavering commitment to providing a high quality arts education for every student. As any student in our arts, drama, dance, or music programs can attest, the arts
are not an extra at CPS. They are a core driver of equity and excellence. Beyond cultivating creativity, the arts awaken passion, build confidence, and rebuild talents that students may never have known they possess. Research also shows that arts participation boosts attendance, fosters a sense of belonging, and develops the critical thinking and collaboration skills essential for life beyond high school. Despite our financial challenges, investing in diverse arts pathways remain a top priority for CPS.
Today's presentation is more than a celebration of talent. It is a look at the instructional infrastructure powering our strategic vision, success 2029 together with RISE strategic plan, as well as the arts education plan two point o. To lead us through these details, I am pleased to introduce our executive director of arts education, Cesar Toruela. Thank you. Morning, president Hart and CEO King and members of the board. We're here to discuss honoring excellence today, but in the department of arts education, excellence
is not an award. It's not a session. It's not a presentation. It's the standard for student experience in this district. Today serves as a progress report on how we are leveraging the arts is the core instructional lever to meet the high expectations set forth in our district strategic plan success 2029 and the arts education plan two point o, cultivating creativity. In Chicago Public Schools, we no longer view arts education as an extra, as a nice to have.
We view it as the primary delivery mechanism for student engagement, attendance, and post secondary readiness. When our students are connected to the arts, they are connected to their schools and their futures. The work you see today proves that when we invest in the arts, we are investing in the cognitive and emotional development of the whole child. With the adoptions of the arts education plan two point o cultivating creativity, this board
made a commitment. This board made it a renewed promise that every child in Chicago Public Schools deserves the transformative power of arts education. Arts education in CPS are not an elective. It's not a holistic course. It's not an enrichment program. Arts in CPS is the core component of our student education. Furthermore, arts education is the strategic driver for this district to meet its goals.
On February 17, we moved from vision to execution. At Camrose Elementary School, we welcome over 400 educators and citywide partners across all disciplines for a day of transformative growth and learning. This wasn't a professional learning day. It was an investment in our teacher, in our arts teacher workforce excellence. Through our partnership with Ingenuity and our leadership of leader Lillian Blaser, arts education manager,
and Chicago's arts administrator of the year, we deliver over 20 curated sessions, and that allowed our teachers to align their unique artistic practices directly to the district framework for effective instruction. I want to extend a personal thank you to board member Rivas, board member Bannon, and board member Smith for being that day present with us in the trenches.
They were dancing. They were singing. They were acting. They were painting, and we have pictures and videos. Your presence signaled to our educators that their professional rigor is a district priority. We invite all of you, all of our board members, to join us in the future as partners in this learning. My key takeaway, however, came from a keynote offer by board member Smith. He challenged us to move away from the perception of arts for art's sake and
move into a district adopted arts for the district's sake. He noted that while report cards pick ups often see low family engagement and arts performance, on the other hand, brings out the entire family. Mom, dads, uncles, grandparents show up to see their students perform. And so my question to the district then is, why don't we move forward towards
combining them both? Academics and arts go hand in hand. They do not compete. This is the crux of our strategy. The arts are the most effective front door we have for our community trust and student attendance. When we treat arts, student performances, or exhibitions with the same academic weight as a report card, we stop treating the arts as an elective and start treating them as the essential engine for school improvement and citywide family engagement.
We're not teaching students how to play instruments or play or dance. We're building the conditions where those students and their families choose to show up and succeed. You may have noticed that this room today feels different. I hope that you had an opportunity to look at the exhibition in our reception area. The student artwork display in here in these cases are from our realized program. And this is more than an exhibition. It's a visual mandate.
By bringing this work into the board chambers, we ensure that students those students most impacted by your policy decisions are physically present in the room where those decisions are being made. I want to thank president Harden and doctor King for their vision in making our students brilliance and artistic, a permanent fixture of this room. This marks the launch of our reoccurring quarterly revolving exhibition, ensuring that as we navigate
fiscal and operational realities as a place of business and governance, we remain proximate to those the decisions made in this very room impact the most our students. In CPS, we have moved past viewing arts as an extra. It is a primary delivery mechanism for student engagement and post secondary readiness. And to achieve the goals of this district plan success 2029 and the arts education
plan, we're building a three layered infrastructure, a systemic leadership, strategic alignment from central office to the classroom, Workforce excellence. We're focusing on rigorous instructional discipline led by national award winning educators. And, ultimately, how does this reach the students and enhance the student experience? Programs like Realize that you will hear from today are the technical bridge to college
credit from college credit to the Illinois $30,000,000,000 creative economy. When we invest here, we're investing in the cognitive development of the whole child. But a strategy is only as strong as the leaders executing it. To speak more on how we are disrupting cycles of inequity through our visual arts programming, I want to highlight the caliber of leadership within our department.
It is my distinct honor to introduce a leader who embodies our commitment to equity and excellence. She was recently recognized by the National Arts Education Association for her transformative work. To walk you through our recent successes in workforce and student impact, I am passing it over to our visual arts content specialty and our 2026 National Arts Education Association, National Agents of Change for equity, diversity, and inclusion, our very own Alicia Kopec.
Good morning, members of the board, CEO King, and president Harden. I am my name is Alicia Kopec, and I'm the visual arts content specialist for the department of arts education. And I am honored to be here to actually, share the work that I do and being able to, like, receive this in front of you that and thank you for the accolade and the recognition. But I'm honored to receive this award from NEA because the work that I do is rooted in the belief that the arts are not just a subject but a primary vehicle for justice.
As a member of the steering committee for the Office of Teaching and Learning, I have led our central office leadership in deep dive professional learning focused on the anti racism framework. By developing culturally responsive frameworks, we shift our focus toward a pedagogy that intentionally affirms our students' identities. I've integrated the CPS Black Success Plan directly into our visual arts professional learning programming to disrupt historic cycles of inequity. By championing rightful presence for every learner, by implementing nontraditional, inclusive artist statements, we ensure
that every student, regardless of their learning style or language, can articulate their vision. I bridge the gap between our district and the broader field by strengthening partnerships with both Illinois and National Art Education Association. By closing in on this opportunity gap for over 700 visual arts teachers, moving us closer to a district where every CPS student experiences an arts education that is rigorous and joyful. My role as a visual arts content specialist on the professional learning team in the
department of arts education, alongside my colleagues representing all the artistic disciplines, we provide a tiered system of supports directly for teachers. I often like to say, we make it make sense for them. By breaking down CPS priorities and initiatives that may appear overwhelming and provide pathways for understanding, all while demonstrating culturally responsive teaching through best instructional practices and meet the needs of all of our students of Chicago Public Schools.
This is how we support our teachers in providing high quality curriculum that allows us to celebrate the brilliance and excellence of all our students. In the four years I have served in this role, I have dreamt of ways to celebrate the artistry and brilliance of the classroom leaders. We depend on them every single day. So prior to becoming servant leaders in the classroom, the teachers cultivated a passion for the arts, and that is why we are honored to bring to the CPS community Reconnect, an educator's exhibition.
The once was a virtual exhibition is now an in person gallery show that highlights the contributions of our educator educators across all subjects, not just the arts. Believe it or not, we have a few science and math teachers who are in the show. Engaging teachers in the inner core and their understanding of how their identities impact relationships and communities on the daily, we align these efforts with NEA conference taking place in Chicago next week as well as the upcoming youth arts month, both coming up in March. Reconnect has expanded the collaboration with Columbia College of Chicago to bridge the gap between
k through 12 educators and higher education arts community. With over 80 original works submitted and underwent a competitive jury selection, this process was to ensure a high caliber exhibition. 51 selected works are featured in the final exhibition showcasing the diverse technical skills of our teaching artists that are in the classroom. The exhibition includes artists from 39 CPS schools representing a broad geographic and demographic cross section of the city. This initiative is a 100% externally funded through the generosity of donors and partners, including
Columbia College Chicago and school specialty. I personally invite you to attend the exhibition, which is still running until March 12 at c c thirty three gallery on Ida B Wells. Come join us and celebrate the artists who teach and the teachers who create with our students every day in every school, in every community for our for every single one of our CPS students. Next, I would like to invite my colleague, Janica, to speak to the next layer of support we offer at the Department of Arts Education.
Thank you, Alicia. Good morning, everybody. I am Good morning. Good morning. Good morning, president Harton, CEO King, and members of the board. I my name is Jennica Onokoy. And as the program manager for Realize, I am so incredibly proud and grateful to share with you the impact of this program that it has on our students. Before I jump into that, I would love to just acknowledge the beautiful work that is outside and the ability to make that happen. Thank you so much to the CBS Board of Education for allowing us to decorate
and beautify these hallways. Our students are elated to know that their work is in this space. I would like to give another shout out for my teaching artists who also made this possible. They helped in the co curation of the work outside as this is just a selection of the work our realize have I realize students have been doing just for this past fall semester. So a little bit about Realize. Realize is a free dual enrollment arts program built in partnership with Columbia College Chicago. The program builds a bridge between high school and college and career for CPS juniors
and seniors who are aspiring artists desiring to become emerging artists in dance, media, music, theater, and visual arts. Realize provides post secondary credits and portfolio development support, removing some of the financial barriers to success in Chicago's creative, economic, and creative communities. If you spent a week attending the program and probably a little bit less, maybe even a day, with our students, you'd see that we're offering more than just college credits. Unlike traditional dual enrollment programs where students may take classes two to three times a
week, Realize additionally offers students a full studio experience. They're not just in classrooms. They're in art studios, and those becomes homes for them and their craft. Our students work side by side with professional teaching artists. If you're unfamiliar with teaching artists, that means that these are professional artists in the field who have a strong background in education, and those folks mentor our young people. It's a holistic approach that blends introductory college courses with real world arts mentorship.
By the time these students finish high school, they're walking away with six to 12 completely free college credits already under their belts. They have professional portfolios ready for a recruiter's desk, and they're already having the experience of standing on a stage or in a professional gallery showing their work to the public and to the Chicago creative community, letting them know that this is the voice of the next round and generation of Chicago artists. In just two years, we've seen our enrollment triple, and that tells me a lot
about that our students in CPS are hungry for this, that they wanna be challenged, that they wanna be seen as the professionals professionals that they are becoming. And right now, our goal is to make sure that by 2030, we are providing this level of access to 200 CPS students every single year. I feel so lucky to do this work every day. I really do. As an artist and an arts educator who's been doing this for over ten years, this means a lot to be in this space to be able to help shepherd this work. And, I just feel so lucky and thankful to be able to share this just
a little bit of what Realize is today with all of you. Before I pass this to one of my teaching artists, I wanna share just a brief video from Realize to just give you a little pizzazz, and then I'll pass the mic to Devin Kane, one of our key teaching artists who'll be describing the impact of the program and the perspective from a teaching artist point of view. My counselor had told me originally it doesn't hurt to try. If you don't like it, you don't have to stay. But what if you do like it? You have to think of the positive one. It's not the negative ones. It's tailored to fit us to actually make us get something out of the program
instead of just feel like it's an extra workload. Realize is a cultivating space. Whatever you bring to the space, they're gonna help you make it bigger and better than what you could have possibly imagined. This is not intimidating at all. Good morning, mister board president, CEO King, and esteemed board members. Before I begin my remarks, I just wanna say that I am a product of CPS, and I am also an alum of the gallery 37 advanced art education program that is no longer in existence. My name is Devin Cain, and I am a teaching artist with the Realize program.
And I'd like to share with you what makes our studio model different from a standard art class. In a typical high school, our core students usually follow a set of curriculum, learning the fundamentals of art or analyzing visual culture. But when a student walks into the Realize studio, the energy is fertile for radical imagination. Here, the projects are student directed and vocationally focused. If you step into our media classroom at Wells, you won't see 20 students doing the same assignment. You'll see students editing a short film based on a childhood memory.
You'll see a student producing music that reflects their inner landscape. You'll see a student designing a video game with his own cosmology. My job is to probe for deeper answers, to cultivate systems of meaning making, and give students the professional tools and insight to make any creative endeavor a reality. As a teaching artist, I'm a mentor to our students and a colleague. I'm working side by side with juniors and seniors, showing them the ropes of the industry. We talk about building new worlds and using media to communicate what is real to
us, things you can't find in a textbook. We show students what it's like to be a working artist. We discuss how to handle a gallery opening, how to talk to a client, how to build a career that actually pays the bills. I'm still paying my bills, by the way, though. The impact of this time the impact of this time at Wells Studio is profound and transformative. We see students go from liking art to owning their identity as professionals. Beyond earning six to 12 college credits, they are building the stamina and the portfolios they need to survive and thrive in the world of their own making.
And so as I started saying that I'm a product of CPS, I remember my art teachers, some of them. But I know my teaching artists from when I was a senior in high school, and we still communicate to this day. And that experience, that one year in gallery thirty seven transformed my entire life, and I am completely honored to be standing here in front of you all, and sharing this space with this incredible team. I'm very humbled. Thank you. Thank you for this opportunity to share with you about the program. Morning, everybody.
Good morning. Mister president Harden, CEO King, and to all the members of the board. My name is Aaron Johnson. I am a senior at Morgan Park High School. I am also a senior in the Realize program. When I first joined Realize, I owned my own business. I still do. I was a event photographer. I came into Realize thinking I could do this. I knew what I was gonna do. I was gonna make some projects, get the credits, move along, go to college. When I walked in, I met so many people. I met people who challenged me.
I met people who wanted me to do better. I met people who thought I was not doing enough for myself. And this made me think, as a event photographer, you're shooting for other people. You're shooting their vision, what they want. You learn a very unique set of skills that when you go to this event, you snap these very specific shots, you edit them, pass them out. That's it. When I was working alongside my peers and with Devin's tutelage, he said, what about your story? What about what you want?
What about the what about the photography you think that you want? That made me think. Now as throughout my years, I've written. I wrote stories from heads and tails. I can tell y'all stories right here, right now. But Devin said, what if you turn these stories into your photography? Now I myself have never lived a reality TV type of life. I've never had those very drama filled days where I'm out here crying boo hoo. Evan said, turn those stories of those reality TV type of lives into your photography.
And that threw my whole life upside down. I now shoot to control my own narrative. I shoot pictures to tell my own story. And this led me to learn more about myself, not only as a photographer, but as as a person. I enjoy having small symbolic pieces that only myself and other people of a very unique and niche community will understand. I had it's opened my eyes to options that I've never seen. I now realize my view was extremely limited, and I don't have to follow what
other people say because other people have told me, oh, that's that's not gonna work. No. You should go back to what you know. Realize, Jennica, Devin, and other teaching artists said, no. Forget them. Do what you want to do. And that's led me to say, I'm not gonna go to the colleges everyone has told me to go to. I'm not gonna go to HBCU party school or the one all my friends are going to. I said, I'm gonna start my own path. I'm gonna go my own way. So in turn, I decided I wanted to go to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.
I decided I wanted to make my own path. And in my closing, I would like to say, without realize, I would not have had a head start on my degree. I would not be able to graduate as a junior instead of a senior in college. I would not be able to stand here today. Thank you. Good morning, president Harden, CEO King, and all the members of the board. It's an honor to be here. I'm Aubrey Small. I'm a junior at Realize at the Realized program. I am also attend Amundsen up north, and I had always been in an academic
setting. I actually consider joining the International Baccalaureate's program, but it really lacked the focus on an art career and the focus on the emphasis on creative expression that really this Realize program offered. I and in terms of that creative expression, Realize gave me the space and time to explore the ideas I find interesting. I personally like tackling the existential. In my opinion, art is one of the most impactful ways of engaging with the world and our and ourselves. Ex and exploring the fundamental questions about ourselves is something I was interested in.
But in terms of a future art career, being able to to attend Columbia College is a really valuable experience. My time there feels more real and more concrete, like I'm actually doing something with my time. But the cape exhibition is when things really felt surreal. For a long time, my art was just sketches in my notebook or doodles on my iPad. This exhibition felt like a step up. And, really, that's what all of Realizes felt like. A step up and an opportunity for my art to be something greater. Thank you. Good morning, president Hardin, CEO King, and members of the board. My name is Danielle Holtz, and I'm the program director for all of our citywide
student art programs. I'm so grateful for the leadership of Jennica and Devin today, and I'm so proud of our realize students presented to you all. If you're curious to learn more, our website is cps.edubackslashrealize. We'd also welcome an email to realize@cps.edu. I would be remiss to not say that, applications for next year are open through April 18. So if you know a current sophomore or junior interested in dance, music, media, visual arts, or theater, please send them our way. The Department of Arts Education would like to thank our partners in this work.
We are very grateful to Columbia College Chicago for their partnership on the Realize program and for supporting us in the relaunch of the Reconnect teacher exhibition. Wells Community Academy High School hosts the Realize studio space, and we're lucky to have their leadership, principal Evans, as collaborators in this work. We are also continuously grateful for the extraordinary talents of our CPS educator community who lead the way in creating rigorous and joyful learning environments for our students. Thank you, teachers. There are several other opportunities to celebrate the work of CPS students citywide this spring,
and I wanna make sure that you know about all of them so you can come out and see the tremendous work of not just the realized program, but students citywide. We're reading this slide left to right. New this year is a pre k through twelfth grade three d exhibition in partnership with the Art Institute of Chicago. This collaborative youth exhibition was designed by the art, the Art Institute of Chicago's teen council and the Chicago Public School Art Student Voice Committee. It features 68 student works from 49 CPS schools in the Art Institute of Chicago.
The exhibition opens March 5, and it will be in the Ryan Learning Center. And it runs through June 5, and it is completely free to attend. Our largest exhibition of pre k through twelfth grade works in partnership with the Design Museum of Chicago opens May 1 and runs through May 30. I'm really excited to share that over 1,700 students applied for the exhibition this year. We're making final selections today, actually. So, we'll be announcing the exhibitors later this month. And the All City Performing Arts Spring Showcase will be on May 17 at Jones
College Prep and will feature performances from theater, music, and dance ensembles. And we have 332 students from across the city in ACPA this spring from over a 148 schools. Applications are open now through March 13 for Art on the Mart. This is our time based exhibition, which showcases high school student achievement in film and animation and is projected on the side of Merchandise Mart from May 21 through May 31. Finally, our annual multidisciplinary festival, Reverberate, is May at the Chicago Cultural Center.
This festival was designed for students by students. It will feature over a 170 ensemble performances in music, theater, and dance from over 2,000 CPS students from a 110 schools. Thank you all again for supporting our CPS student artists. We hope to see you this spring. And with that, that concludes our presentation today. Thank you very much for this honor and honoring the excellence of our department of arts education, our teaching artists and staff, and most importantly, our students. Thank you very much. Thank you, Caesar, for the inspiring look at the power of arts, education in our
schools. Thanks also to the students, and the educators who joined us today to share the CPS art experience. Thank you. Thank you. You represent thousands of inspiring artists and art educators throughout our district, including those in the community in the school community at the Chicago High School for the Arts. CHI Arts is a unique space for some of our city's most talented young artists, and CPS is committed to keeping its mission alive and well. We are in the process now of bringing this school under district management, and I
want to provide an update on where things stand with these transitions. Students and educators, you can go back to your seats. Thank you. Earlier this week, we held a community meeting, for Chayar's students, families, and staff. This was a chance for us to share a framework and to gather valuable feedback from the community. We're pleased that Doctor. Casey Fiske, Chaillard's newly named principal, was able to introduce himself to the school community during this meeting. Doctor Fiske has an excellent combination of arts education and administrative experience, so we are
confident it's an ideal choice to lead the CHI Arts community through this transition. I want to thank the CHI Arts community for your collaboration both earlier this week and in the past few months. It's clear that you deeply value the unique experiences being offered at CHI Arts, especially the quantity and quality of pre professional arts training made possible by the school's conservatory model. CPS shared this view, which is why we have been working towards a plan that preserves the uniqueness of CHI R's and experiences that they produce to our students.
We can do this or we have to do this within our legal and financial limitations. Before I discuss our proposed framework for HIRs, I think it's important to acknowledge how we got here. Just four months ago in October 2025, the HIR boards of director voted not to renew its current contract with CPS. Following a substantial decline in external financial support, the school was at risk of closing this June. Fortunately, CPS intervention has allowed us to move beyond that immediate threat and focus on
the future. The Chicago Board of Education voted to establish the school as a CPS managed fine and performing arts school, high school in November 2025. Since that time, CPS has been gathering feedback from the CHI arts community. Much of what we heard so far is the desire to keep CHI arts exactly the way it is right now. This speak to how meaningful CHI arts is to our students and their families, and we understand that sentiment. But there are difference between how contract schools and district schools are managed.
To begin with, TRY Arts will need to follow the same legal requirements and lab labor agreements that apply to all district managed schools, including the additional 72 fine arts and performing arts schools across the city. And then there is the financial reality. It's clear that relying on outside funding is no longer a sustainable model for CHI arts, and this is something that we 100% agree with our community. It is not possible to to fund the model with outside funding. CPS have been in conversations with the foundation regarding fundraising opportunities and we appreciate the
possibility of additional outside support. The previous level of outside funding available to JRs would be difficult to maintain moving forward. Unfortunately, given the budget deficit our district is facing going into next school year, CPS is not in a financial position to make up for the school's lost revenue. For this reason, it's not feasible to transition JRs in its current format, but it can still remain grounded in its artistic mission. To achieve this, CPS have worked over the past several months, including consulting with all
the top tier public art high schools across the country, to create a framework that will honor the uniqueness of the child art experience, preserve the conservatory to the greatest extent possible, and maintain child art status as the premier public art high school in Chicago. To meet the requirement of the Illinois code school code and to honor collective bargaining agreements with our labor partners, this framework must begin with a daily school schedule totaling seven hours and fifteen minutes. One hundred and fifty of those minutes, would be pre professional training that could build
into that is built into the school day, plus ninety to one hundred minutes of high quality arts opportunity in the after school hours. As a result, JLR students will increase the arts instruction from the current one hundred and eighty minutes to two hundred to forty to two hundred forty to two hundred and fifty minutes per day. Our framework ensure that all our instructions will be provided by a combination of a licensed artist educator to ensure students receive academic credits. And by teaching artist, we now bring tremendous value to JRs.
And to achieve a well rounded experience and satisfy CPA accreditation requirements, all the students will continue receiving full credit load of core academic instruction. This was the framework we presented this week. However, there are many conversations still to be had and much work to do to iron out the details of what TRs will look like in the years to come. We want to ensure all stakeholders have a seat at the table when it comes to refining these details. We all share the same goal, a future that preserves the intensity and quality of
the current JRs model in a way that is both equitable and sustainable. CPS is open to feedback that will help us achieve this goal within our strategic boundaries. In fact, we have received several encouraging emails this week for potential opportunities to work with all the stakeholders in a plan that fits the framework described above. We want TRs to be successful, but not for one or two years. We want to make sure that this is a long term commitment from all stakeholders, in for us to be able to achieve this goal. We look forward to hearing more from the JRs community, including through the feedback form
we provided to all stakeholders this week and another community meeting that is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11. Before I finish my remarks, I will read this statement also in Spanish. Mister president, this conclude the honoring excellence section of today's meeting. Thank you very much. Before we move on, though, I do wanna take a moment just to recognize, Cesar in particular. A few months ago, I came to him and said, we really need to do something in the boardroom office the boardroom. Can we hang some student art?
And he took that simple request and turned it into a beautiful exhibition. And so I would just wanna publicly acknowledge how amazing you made the boardroom worth coming into. We we are excited about it. I'm I'm certainly excited about it, what this has turned into, and I just wanted to public acknowledge you and all the students. I wanna name them Aramis, Anaya, Aubrey, Calvin, Charmaine, Emma, Jaden, Christian, Luna, Madison, Margo,
Ali, Reagan, and Ray. Each of them contributed to today's exhibition. I'm just deeply grateful, Cesar, for your leadership. Board members, any comments or questions, please? We'll begin with doctor Velez. Thank you, President Harding. This is so, so good. A great example of honoring excellence. I have a background in theater. In high school, I did several plays. Don't ask me how that happened, because I didn't speak any English. So, and I play Charlie Brown. So well, it's it's one of those situations where I was doing poetry.
So I just wanna commend the Department of Arts Education and the students for, all their work to, use art to, do free expression or to even protest. I know it is meant to liberate our, to liberate our minds. I just wanna say, let's continue to support and expand our education in Chicago public schools. You know, I have an uncle, very famous. He went to the Pratt Institute, and, he's one of the Afro Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico that have taught at different universities, and, and I wanna see, more students,
taking that path. So great job. Amber Zaccor? Yeah. Some of us yesterday had the wonderful opportunity to attend, Uniting Voices, a a really awesome musical performance by many of our students. I was very excited to see four of my schools. They're part, participating. So just another wonderful example of what is being provided by our arts programming. And I just wanna mention how much, arts is connected with mental health, which our honorary board member has been highlighting this year along with student voice.
And it's just such a really great marriage of two very important priorities within CPS. And, yeah, hopefully, we can continue to fund it the way it needs to be funded to meet all of those objectives. Member Smith. Thank you so much, and thank you for your leadership, Cesar. I wanna just talk about, you know, a little bit more of what we talked about, art not only as expression, but art as career pathways. There are more artists with careers than NBA basketball players, yet our athletic department gets more money than our arts department.
Something doesn't make sense when the arts department only gets 5,000,000 a year, and they're doing amazing things because of Sage, Griot, creativity work, and not the resources necessary that some schools in the 10th District don't even have arts teachers or music class. You're doing amazing work with nothing, but that's what artists and teachers do. I also wanna, acknowledge that arts is what brings parent engagement. Arts is what can heal and cure chronic absenteeism.
Parents and uncles and aunties do show up to the plays, and that can be utilized for teacher engagement. And when we talk about, by art curriculum, kind of by literacy curriculum, I walked into, I talked about a school that I walked into where, the math class was working with the art class where the students would draw angles in math class and color them in in art class, and you saw your future architects there.
At the, United Voices where member Zach Orr went, I saw the Leo choir singing glory that I wrote. And I saw the way that art and I looked at those kids and say, oh, those are our next board members. Because you're an artist doesn't mean you just do art. You can reimagine the community, the world, and the policies that shape us. Thank you so much for your leadership. I wanna see the arts pro I wanna see the arts department get just as much, if not more, than the athletic department.
Thank you. Member Lopez. Thank you, board president. Thank you for the presentation and also for the students that are here. I think board member Smith raised a definitely a good point. And for me, I'm thinking of, fellow individuals that I work with within and be in the government sector and the public and other forms of public sector where they started early on in the artists, right, being creative, whether it was with the broadcasting programs and particularly thinking of Farragut High School, or Gallery thirty seven. And now they work in other industries, or you might think other industries, but their
art, experience, their training has helped them get to where they are now. And we're also looking at the digital component. Right? We have a lot of many of our whether it be our students or other individuals that are looking into the digital realm of, you know, how they create. And And I think it's important how do we invest more in the in that growth. Given that art is integrated, whether it be, you know, daily in my community where I grew up in Gage Park in Pilsen, also in other communities, how do we learn through the art, through the music? And as adults, also, it opens our eyes and windows to what's outside of Chicago,
what's I what's outside of The United States and make us more open minded. And, of course, food. I know that also art expressing through the food and some of the, programs that we have. So definitely excited to keep hearing and going out and supporting. I do wanna send some quick shout outs to, some teachers that I know are primarily in the Southwest Side. Professor William Strada Strada, Susan Mueven, Steve Bedal from Benito Juarez who, have done a great impact on their students over the last few decades.
Thank you. Thank you, doctor King. We're ready for your remarks. Before we move forward with the doctor King's remarks, I do wanna recognize and for the record note that vice president Bautista has joined the meeting as of 11:03AM. Thank Thank you, mister president. I will begin today by acknowledging the one hundredth anniversary of the national movement to commemorate black history, a centennial milestone honoring the legacy of doctor Carter g Woodson and
the enduring power of his 1926 vision. This centennial carries a profound weight as we also mourn the passing of reverend Jesse Jackson senior, a giant of the civil rights movement who passed away last week at the age of 84. Not a Chicago native, but a Chicago icon and a tireless advocate for justice, reverend Jackson worked spanned generations instilling hope and dignity and hope in millions of students and citizens worldwide.
We cannot celebrate this history without leaning into the challenges that necessitated its creation. The systemic erasure of black contributions and the organized disenfranchisement disenfranchisement of black communities, these historical struggles, the fight for the right to be seen and valued, parallel the lived reality for people of color in 2026. We see these challenges echoing in the ongoing battle for equitable school funding and the
persistent opportunity gaps we are addressing through the Black Student Success Plan. Honoring reverend Jesse Jackson senior and many of our assessors' legacy means our actions and our resources must be aligned with their enduring demand for justice and equity and equity in action. It's fitting that we honor the his life and and our leg the legacy of Black History Month. Throughout February, twin CPS has, hosted events that honor black excellence across the district, all
of which reflect our shared stories, our resilience, and the human connections that unite us under our core mission. This included a culturally rich African diaspora exhibit hosted by our office of multilingual and multicultural education. It is a collaboration with students, parents, and community organizations highlighting traditions of families from Africa, Haiti, and Afro Mestizo from Latin America. This inspiring display of pride, representation, inclusivity is still available for viewing.
This the QR code is posted. Please schedule time to go out and see this amazing exhibit. Our district also hosted a celebration of the history and impact of Phillips and DuSable high schools, including a community based event highlighting their enduring impact in the Bronzeville neighborhood. The DuSable High School Alumni Coalition for Action welcomed back one of its most successful alumni, the honor roll p Scott Melville junior, chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court,
who was honored for his visionary leadership and commitment to equity within the justice system. He was also joined by another notable alumni of DeSable, senator Maddie Hunter. I thank our educators for using the resources available, to support, Black History Month and the education the educational opportunities through Skyline or the Black History curriculum that the district provides to enhance our student daily learning experience, not just within the twenty eight days
of February, but throughout the year. As we reflect on the history makers who shaped our path, I want to shift to the history making moments happening right here in our district. Moments that we that speak to the excellence and leadership we continue to cultivate today. This commitment to fostering outstanding talent at every level is central to our mission and requires the alignment of our entire system. Principal Regina Latimer Lake of Inglewood's Earl STEM Academy was recently named elementary school principal
of the year by the Illinois Principles Association. Her dedication of over twenty years to the children of Chicago exemplifies the positive impact that focused excellent leadership has on student learning and school climate. I also want to offer congratulations, for our district school counselors who celebrated National School Counseling Week. They keep our students on track academically, create safe supporting learning environments, and drive post secondary planning that helps thousands of CPS students graduate with college and career credentials.
Their holistic work demonstrates a deep alignment between the academic and the emotional. Next, I'd like to acknowledge our crossing guards. Equally deserving of our gratitude, there are more than 600 crossing guards who brave the elements each day to ensure our students get to and from school safely. I encourage everyone in our CPS community to find time between February 14 and March 14 to thank the crossing guard in our lives, perhaps by nominating them for the
city of Chicago's crossing guard of the year award. Next, I would also want to congratulate we have 11 CPS educators who are finalists for the 2026 Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching. These fourth through eighth grade teachers demonstrate a significant impact on their students' growth and learning and a positive influence in their school communities overall. Next up, we highlight our twenty twenty six Posse scholars. There are 95 members of the CPS class of 20 I said 95 members of
the CPS class of twenty twenty six who have been selected for Posse scholars. These students chosen for their leadership potential you all see a theme we have we're we're we're we're developing leaders. They've been chosen for their leadership potential and academic promise and will receive upwards of $30,000,000 in full tuition scholarships to to prestigious institutions like Cornell University, Middlebury College, and University of Wisconsin Madison. They reflect the very best of CPS and the future we are collectively working to
build. Next, I was inspired by the shout outs from last month. So if my speech is a little longer, we shouted out writing. So I have to shout out Anahan Elementary School and their writing campaign. They they're to celebrate the just the advocating for a new school field. I know we're talking about money, but I wanted they did a the stack was about this high, which is why it's taking me so long to read through it. But, they exercise not only the writing, the importance of writing instruction, but their civic responsibility proving that you know how to use your voices and that they are vital
to our district's progress. Writing is more than a classroom subject. It is a primary tool for advocacy and leadership. Your words demonstrate the importance of writing for the school and the way you organized your thoughts and making the request along with there was some wonderful artwork attached to some of the writing as well. I want the Onahann community to know that chief Mayfield and I have read every word of your letters and admired the creativity. I want to thank you, the students and the teachers, for turning literacy your literacy
skills into a power of action. So your commitment to the Onahann community is truly inspiring, and chief Mayfield will follow-up with a written response. Next, CPS. Speaking of the best of CPS has to offer, I am pleased to share that our district will again collaborate with the mayor's office to host the third CPS champions event later this spring. The purpose of this event is to honor students in areas that are are not always recognized, including some of the arts, STEM, language, and civic engagement.
Applications will be open March 10, and board members, you will receive a link you too can, actually nominate. We will share more details at next month's meeting about how our CPS community can nominate, deserving students. Finally, today, I want to recap my visit to the state capitol in Springfield earlier this this month. The purpose was to meet with state legislatures to improve education funding for our schools. CPS, again, is facing a significant budget shortfall going into next school year, So I
am hoping that our elected officials will act as strong advocates for Chicago students. I am grateful to the legislatures who made time to meet with me and the CPS team and who listened to our thoughts around the support we need to provide every student with a high quality education and a bright future. In the months ahead, we will continue to work with our partners at all levels of government to achieve full funding for our schools. In closing, I also want to add return to one simple truth.
We are one district with one mission. This mission only works when every decision we make is grounded in the overall health of the student experience for all students in each of the 77 neighborhoods that the the the district provides educations educational services for. Individual decisions cannot live in isolation. They must strengthen the coherence, stability, and long term viability of Chicago Public Schools. I want to be clear about the moment we we are in.
We are making these decisions in the middle of a federal crisis that is already reshaping the landscape for public education. In moments like this, we cannot afford to be divided. Fragmentation weakens us. Alignment strengthens us. Our students need us to move as one system, not as competing parts. There is at least one thing every person in this room is aligned on, and I'm sure of that, is that our schools must be fully funded. That is the shared truth that it unites us across all roles, all neighborhoods, all
perspectives. As we work towards that goal, we must protect stability, advance equity, and steward our system through uncertainty with clarity and courage. I thank everyone for your partnership, your resolve, and your commitment to the one district moving forward with one purpose. Mister president, this concludes my prepared remarks. Thank you. President Hardin, before we move forward, I do wanna note that for the record, member board member Lozano has joined the meeting as of 11:36AM. The Spanish translator will now translate doctor King's statement into a span into Spanish as
a condensed statement. If you wish to receive the fully translated statement, please contact the board office for assistance. Assistance. Good morning. Jesse Jackson senior. Golden apple Johnson This concludes the summary of the remarks.
Board members, are there comments or questions, doctor King? I it was amazing to see doctor King down in Springfield last week. I was down with my work hat on, and it was just so refreshing to see the sense of urgency she has around building relationships with legislators early on in the session to to get the funding for our schools and our students. I know the other board members also went down last week. I remember Zacchor Pope. Sorry if I missed anyone. I think this is exactly what we need. I remember sitting here last year, shortly after we first got sworn in talking about
the importance of going down to Springfield and at at that time, really trying to urge leadership to show some sense of urgency around securing funding. So thank you for doing exactly what we're supposed to be doing now, which is going down to Springfield or meeting with legislators and district to talk about revenue. In the governor's budget address last week, you know, there there's a clear signal that there's gonna need to be some belt tightening given what's going on at the federal government and the funds that the state is gonna be losing, I believe, about $8,000,000,000. But even with those constraints, it's encouraging to see the governor saying that he wants
to find additional ways to to fund our schools. There was something in his address he mentioned a social media platform fee that could generate over $200,000,000 that he suggesting go through, to k k through 12 education. But in order to fund, our schools here at CPS and schools across the state, we do need even more than that. So, I was able to go down yesterday again, not with my work head on, but to talk about revenue with legislators. And many of them share our concerns, but they do need to hear from us and not just hear about our complaints about how our schools are underfunded, but share
with them what revenue proposals we're willing to organize around, that we are going to meet with legislators and and build the courage. Where at the federal gov, federal level, there's tax giveaways to billionaires and large corporations that we want our state leaders to stand up and secure the revenue that our students, families, and communities deserve. So I know that, the board office and our IGA team are organizing advocacy days, and I would again encourage, my colleagues to either join one of those advocacy days or arrange separate visits with our legislators to advance, progressive revenue proposals for education.
Thank you. Thank you. Member Custer. Thank you, board president. I think we heard a ton about excellence today. We heard about art excellence this morning. We heard about teacher excellence, how many teachers we have nominated for our golden apple. We heard about our amazing posse scholarships. We heard about our awesome Anahan kids doing some more writing and advocacy work. But I do, if I may, doctor King, shout out wanna shout out one more area of excellence and that is a huge congratulations to the Keurig boys basketball team for winning the championship game last week. And another congratulations to Lincoln Park for even just being there.
It was amazing. I got the opportunity to go. It was a feisty game. There was a lot of energy in that stadium, and it was really, really awesome to to get to be of that. So congratulations to our boys' basketball teams as well. Thank you. Member Pohl. Yes. I just wanna echo, very briefly member Thodokura's, sentiments. This is a crucial time for public education in our state, and we cannot allow our children to be the victims of hunger games. We have to provide the kind of robust and joyful education that we all on
the board, regardless of any other differences, want for all of our students here in Chicago. And I think it's extremely important for us to develop our agenda as a board and to have that agenda and and to arrange as many visits as we can down in Springfield, back in the district, everywhere we can to get our friends and families and groups that are aligned with us to lobby for these proposals. If we don't get more revenue and revenue from progressive sources, we will not be
able to meet the needs of our students, and I think this has to be one of our very top priorities going forward. So thank you for highlighting it, board member. Member Lopez. Thank you, board president. Thank you also for all the work that has been done in Springfield. I as it was mentioned, it is important. And, also, a reminder, you know, how do we continue working together? The end goal is getting more sustainable funding for our schools and how do we go together as a strong front, like doctor King said, as united to Springfield. It's gonna be crucial.
Thank you for the shout out to Keary High School. They won their game last night, so they're gonna be advancing on the state of, playoffs. So very excited for the boys basketball team out there. The other part, I also just wanted to ask, and thank you, doctor King and your team, as we continue, you know, looking forward with March, some of the concerns that I see I'm hearing for, constituents in the Southwest Side is, right, if ICE returns to our schools. I know your team has already prepared one because we have the primary elections that
some of those they'll be hosted at some of the schools as polling locations. If you can just give us an update on some of the security measures. And the following day, we have the LSC elections happening. While students might not be in the building, it's, you know, parents wanna feel safe that they can go and cast their vote. It is the LSCs here in Chicago, we will say it's, actually a democratic process where any pretty much every community member is eligible to vote for who their LSC representation is. So if if there's no way that your team can give just a public quick
update. Yeah. Chief Mayfield, is Ronan in the space? I think he's here. Let me let me check, and then we'll answer that momentarily. Okay. Timber Smith. Thank you. I wanna thank you, doctor King, for advocating for more sources in Springfield. And I also want to, just remind us as I remind myself that, you know, like member Pope said, we do need more funding for quality education, and we have
to advocate outside of the roles that we have as board members and also inside of the roles. We have as board members, with a fiduciary responsibility to governance. And as we contemplate ethical governance, how we allocate those dollars in the best interest of students and their improvement. I read a recent board rule report that showed that our board, spends 54% of our time on governance, which is great, 32% of our time on adult issues, and
14% of our time on student improvement. I believe that we can and we must do better. We we must demand that student impact data be given to us, and be transparent for the public to see the impact of, money that we're spending. I'm advocating for quarterly reports from organizations who receive multimillion dollar contracts from CPS and how they're serving students, which gives us opportunities to address the necessary supports for our student success.
You know, last in the last ARC meeting, we had some vendors, 97 vendors, and they wanna add 25 more vendors. I asked about student impact. The results I got back was, student, vendors are required to all give, data contractually. And out of the 97 vendors, only 27 of them actually give data on how their vending services, impact students. That's 28%, and they're all required to give that data.
So for now and moving forward, I'm encouraging my colleagues to join me in only supporting initiatives that show and prove that CPS is putting student outcomes first. Together, we will build the best learning institution in the world. Thank you. Hi. Good afternoon. Ronan Shabelski, chief of safety and security. To answer your question, regarding the election, so, we do have security in place at all of our Arbor schools during elections from both the seventeenth and the eighteenth. We do have our command center that's open as well, which is, you you know,
combined with our safety center inside of a OEMC. So we're in close connection with our schools for any for any incidents that may occur. There'll be a quick, call into our our office and a quick response with our team. We're closely aligned with, the Chicago Police Department. So if there's any need for, any safety response, in any of our schools that's open for polling, we'll be able to respond quickly. We also have a team of safety, specialists who are out in the field who can also are out there to deploy and respond to our schools. Any other questions? Thank you so much for that information.
Yes. Yes. Thank you. Member Bennett? Board member Lopez mentioned it, but I just wanted to emphasize, after you vote on March 17, don't forget to vote on March 18 in the local school council elections. These are all, people who are giving their time for the community. Probably everyone in this room already knows this, so might be preaching to the choir, but tell your friends and neighbors, to get out and vote in the LLC elections. I served for ten years in an LLC, gave up that lucrative volunteer position for this volunteer position. So, out of respect for all my, former, LSE, parents and teachers and staff and
principals, and students who serve in the LLCs, please get out and vote on March 18. Member Guzzano. Yes. I just wanna also make sure that and encourage all of us to be very vigilant, on the elections, not just the primary, but the local school council election. I wanna remind everyone that that is the only election where the criteria is to have a child in the school or to live in the community. You don't have to be a US citizen. So those are the people in our community that come out and vote.
And use usually come out in very big numbers because that is such a honor and a privilege to be able to vote in this election for who is going, and, also, they can get elected. So I just wanna encourage everyone to really be creative because as I go through the community on the Southwest Side, people are not feeling safe. And this new threat, that they're coming back or they're already here, and the continuing,
you know, attacks on our community and the violence of those attacks, I think will affect the elections. Therefore, we should make sure there's a lot of information that's going out, that, we're working with, the rapid response teams in the communities, with our older people who also are very concerned about these elections. And I just want everyone to be really conscious, especially those of us that have the privilege of being US citizens. But right now, the attacks are not only on US citizens.
It's on people of color. It's it it's all of that, and we should be very, very vigilant and strong. I know I'll be out there, you know, working, you know, both elections and stuff like that, but I would hope that everybody has it on their mind and that we send out their some written information or even have some, you know, town hall meeting, beforehand so that people will be feel safe. You know, there in in regular elections, we do absentee.
We can we can, you know, vote absentee so we don't have to show up. Right? If ICE is all over the place, people are not gonna go to the elections. That's what's gonna happen. And that's gonna be most of, you know, my community. So I just want everybody to be very conscious. And, you know, and if you are privileged and this is not happening in your neck of the woods, think about us because I've been praying all day long about this, and, in our community, those are the questions that are being asked. Thank you. Thank you. We'll move to committee updates. Member Brown, please proceed with the update on Black Student Achievement Committee.
Thank you, president Harden. Good morning, everyone. As we gather today, we do so during Black History Month, which was started as Negro History Week by doctor Carter g Woodson at the Wabash YMCA in Bronzeville in 1926. This is a time to honor the resilience, brilliance, and enduring contributions of black Americans to the city of Chicago, our nation, and the world. Before I share an important update on the Chicago Board of Education's Black Student Achievement Committee, I want to pause to extend our deepest condolences on the passing of an
iconic civil rights leader, the honorable reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson senior. Personally, I am saddened by the transition of reverend Jesse Jackson senior to the ancestors. I'm also filled with immense gratitude. Despite his status as an international leader, he always made time for us. Many don't know that he was the first executive director of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization in 1965 and was recruited by doctor Martin Luther King to leave KOCO to form Operation Breadbasket. In 2015, Coco leaders were organizing to save Walter Dyatt High School in the historic
Bronzeville community. Reverend Jackson welcomed us. For thirty four days, we slept at operation push. We bathed at operation push. He provided me with wise counsel regularly during that struggle and ever since as a mentor. He stood with us even in among failing health in a successful struggle to save Mercy Hospital. He was a global leader who valued his connection to grassroots communities. His life teaches a simple lesson. Let your work speak louder than your words. His work roars into the next one hundred years with countless numbers of people impacted
by his genius, his courage, and his sense of humor. Asante Saino Babu, that is Kiswahili for thank you very much, ancestor. We got it from here. His lifelong commitment to civil rights, educational equity, and social and economic justice helped to transform cities like Chicago and far beyond. His leadership reminds us that progress require requires courage, conviction, and collective action. His legacy challenges us to continue the work. So I'd like to just give a round of applause for the life of reverend
Jesse Jules Jackson senior. Moving on to our committee update. Board member Blaze and I sincerely thank everyone who have who applied to serve on the Black Student Achievement Committee. This newly established committee is historic in its own right. It represents a continued investment and intentional focus, accountability, and opportunity for all CPS students, but especially black students. We received nearly 500 membership applications, demonstrating a deep commitment across various CPS stakeholder groups to advancing educational outcomes of black students.
As we move forward, the board will soon begin the formal review and scoring process. We are committed to conducting a fair and transparent selection process that reflects the integrity of this work and the importance of this committee's charge. Please visit the board's website at cpsboe.org for official committee updates and information. Thank you very much. We'll now proceed with today's public participation session. In compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act, Poll participation, sometimes referred to as public
comment, is the portion of the board meeting or hearing that grants district stakeholders the opportunity to address the board with their concerns and comments. Note that poll participation is a time for the board and CPS senior leadership to listen and hear from you rather than a time for dialogue with board members during or after your remarks. And while we can't discuss personnel matters, poll participation is a key component of transparent governance, and it provides us as board members as well as senior leadership an opportunity to listen to everyone who is signed to speak.
This board takes equity of voice very seriously. And while we may not address your comments directly during poll participation, CPS leadership is always present at our meetings and are able to address concerns as follow ups after the meeting. As a district and as a board, we also have many other spaces for authentic dialogue. For example, each and every one of our board members host board office hours so so that we can have a conversation. So please use our website, cpsboe.org, if you wanna meet with the board member during office hours. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with board members outside
of a board meeting, and we thank you for your attention and consideration. As a reminder, union representatives will be allotted five minutes to speak before poll participation, and any elected official will be allotted five minutes to speak after the conclusion of poll participation. Board secretary, please share the rules of poll participation. Thank you, president Hardin. Members of the public who registered to speak were given the option to attend in person or via an electronic format. For those who prefer to attend via an electronic format, they were given information to access this meeting by dialing a number and using their phone.
We did this so that speakers with limited or no access to the Internet or who may have weak Internet connection could still participate using their phones. Also, members of the public may submit written comments for board of education meetings via the written comments form on the board's website at cpsboe.org or mail to 42 West Madison Street, Garden Lovell. Written comments received between the day the public agenda was posted through 5PM the day after the Board of Education meeting will be submitted to the board and published within five business days on our website at cpsboe.org.
Speakers, please listen while I provide directions for public participation. I will call your name and number when it is your turn to speak. For speakers joining us virtually, as a reminder, to unmute, please enter star six. Once you hear your name, please state your name for the record. I will then start the two minute timer. When there are thirty seconds remaining, I will inform you so that you can proceed to conclude your remarks to allow for the next speaker to begin. For anyone standing with the speaker, note that in order to comply with the city's fire code, please stand along the glass partitions on the marked spots to keep aisles
clear. Thank you. President Harden, before we begin calling speak registered speakers from the speakers list, we do have union reps who would like to address the board. We'll begin with die doctor Diane Castro, CTU financial secretary, who is here in person. Good afternoon. My name is doctor Diane Castro, and I am the financial secretary at the Chicago Teachers Union. I'm also a bilingual preschool teacher on leave. I had the honor to serve in a school community that lies less than a mile from ASPira business and finance and ASPira Early College High School. I'm a daughter of the Puerto Rican diaspora, the daughter of a Puerto Rican father
and CPS alum. I am the daughter of a mother who came to Chicago from Puerto Rico in the nineteen seventies to a bilingual education that was not ready for her nor valued her identity. I am the granddaughter of who taught me that education must come before all else. I'm also the proud mother of two CPS children, one of whom will be graduating eighth grade in a few short months. We are here today amongst parents, students, and educators demanding a plan from CPS in response to ASPira and their CEO, Edgar Lopez, shameful neglect at ABF and AEC.
ASPira has been an institution and community that people have poured so much into. They claim that their mission is to empower Puerto Rican and Latino community through advocacy and education and leadership development of its youth. Being part of the diaspora, I know what it looks like to seek representation, feel recognized, and find pride in my culture. Espira and CEO Edgar Lopez have betrayed their mission, their students, their families, and community, and the dreams of the ancestors that my, my ancestors left Puerto Rico for.
For both myuelas, education has always been the crown jewel. Both came to The United States Mainland because this government did not afford them access to an education beyond fifth grade in the nineteen forties and fifties. This past November, ASPITA Charter Network and their CEO demonstrated gross negligence, negligence that you were all made aware of when they said that they had a $1,500,000 deficit. Our students, families, and dedicated educators were were made aware when CEO Lopez went to the media before informing all of these stakeholders of decisions that were being made about
their lives. Two weeks ago, The Sun Times reported that ADF and AEC will be insolvent by mid March. That's two short weeks away from now. While Espira has hid properties and misled families, they asked for continued financial support while blaming the very educators who have shown passion for their craft, love for their students, and more responsibility towards the Azpira community than their board and CEO have. To see this community at risk in their education is reckless and negligent. It denies the dreams of countless boricuas and the Latine community.
This also continues the story of playing with the lives of black and brown students and families as though stability is a luxury that these families do not deserve. As a parent of an upcoming graduate, I know the elation as I anticipate this date. I am appalled at how the students are treated as they are studying for the AP tests, passing their classes, and practicing their sports. These are the future graduates of 2026 who persevered throughout COVID, endured through federal attacks, and are now confronted with yet another injustice.
They deserve a board of education that will see their challenges and respond with empathy. I am appalled that families are being treated this way when they should be planning for prom and graduation. The negligence of did not happen overnight. Our educators have shown love and dedication to the students during this uncertainty while also serving as the scapegoat for Lopez's mismanagement. The displacement of our people in Chicago happened shortly after many of our ancestors arrived here. Witnessing a boss who puts the blame on the back of workers while saying that they don't deserve a living wage and who contributes the displacement of the largely Latina
community he is supposed to serve is not how we were raised nor what we believe. Our families deserve clarity around the decisions that are being made about them. They deserve their voices to be heard because has not taken the time to listen. The students deserve a district that will support their families, keep the school and communities with the bonds they have formed as whole as possible, and to make sure that Espira is held accountable to the families and educators. The seniors deserve the joy of graduation with the friends that they have made, and the remaining students deserve ease in seeing familiar faces in their school buildings.
We cannot allow Waspida to continue to betray the promise of education and leadership that was made to these students. While CEO Lopez evades parents' questions, threatened students who dare to advocate for themselves, hides property, and continually gaslights parents, This board has the opportunity to direct the enforcement course of action. The families deserve answers. They deserve to be heard. They should not be informed via news media, indirect communication, and emails. Beyond knowing what the future holds for them, these students and their families require enrollment
support for receiving schools if that is what the future holds for them. We need a real plan for the 570 students and the 60 educators impacted by this disrespect. If the people in charge of a speed up won't deliver answers with the families deserve, it is up to CPS to do right by this community and make sure that students have continuous education with familiar faces and their educators and friends. Students have a sense of continuity in the classes that they have already invested in. School communities are kept as whole as possible, and parents aren't left to just navigate go CPS alone.
Not only for the students who might transition this school year, but also for the future freshmen, the current school students like my son, who are looking forward to the promise of high school. CPS has the ability to hold every charter operator accountable. This is true for ASPITA, Shy Arts, Epic, and Inc. And their CEO, Andrew Broy. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next union rep is Jen Conant, CTU charter division chair, who is here in person. Good morning. Thank you, doctor Castro, for those powerful words. There are two primary issues I want to raise today.
First is Shay Arts. The Shea Arts community has been crystal clear that what makes Shea Arts special is its fifteen hours per week of pre professional arts training during its extended school day. Unsurprisingly, school community members were incredibly frustrated by Tuesday's community meeting where CPS proposed integrating the arts into the regular school day with optional after school programming. That is not saving shy arts, it's cutting the programming that makes the school so successful. CPS also hid behind the district's union contracts essentially saying that the school day could
only be from eight to 03:15. To be clear the Union has actually been telling you that there are paths to preserving the Conservatory model and doing eight to five p. M. The Honoring Excellence portion of today's meeting mirrors what Shea Arts has been doing for decades. You are honoring the arts with your words, but your actions are dismantling the arts at our school. Please go back to the drawing board and use the feedback you've been given by the school community and your labor partners. Next, we have to talk about Espira. As I've spoken about before, Espira leadership has mismanaged their finances and has failed to
be transparent with families and staff about the extent of their financial problems, and students are paying the price. In October, we thought Espiro was short $1,500,000, then it was 2.5, then 3,000,000. Today, Espiro's request is for 4,800,000.0. Espiro gets a little over 10,000,000 in funding from CPS for their two high schools. That makes its request for $4,800,000 in extra funds staggering. We believe it is incredibly important to prevent the chaos of a mid year school closing and we know Espira is demanding funds way beyond what the district can legally
provide. Aspira Management says this is a funding problem, but lots of Charter Schools across CPS are stable and not at risk of a mid year closure, which means this is a management problem. Aspira is responsible for putting together a financial plan to make it to the end of the year, but they have not. They have refused transparency, honest communication, and making hard decisions to protect our students. Their plan seems to be just keep operating until they literally run out of money, so it is time for CPS to step in and provide some answers and stability. Today, you will hear from educators, parents, and students about the impact of Aspira's mismanagement.
It is devastating and the disruption to students education will be extreme especially if CPS doesn't provide a plan forward. And today's speakers are only a small number of the school community members who wanted to speak today. CPS failed to provide oversight of Espira or proper oversight of Espira. CPS could and should have recognized the warning signs and intervened sooner. Aspira's irresponsible finances and CPS's failure to act will force students to pay the price. Aspira said they will run out of money in weeks and the fourth quarter starts on March 6.
CPS has to take responsibility for preparing a plan that reduces harm to a Spira students if these schools close before the end of the year. CPS's standard operating procedure here of Handing a website to families or holding a school fair and telling students to or telling families to individually choose the school they are interested in would be an unmitigated disaster in this scenario. Parents have a right to choose a school to enroll in but that is just the bare minimum. They deserve better. CPS can and must do more. CPS should also give families options that would allow students and staff to transfer together
to nearby welcoming schools. The district must ensure that credits transfer including for AP dual credit and credit recovery classes. They must ensure that receiving schools have the resources they need to welcome a large number of new students and CPS must make sure seniors have an opportunity to graduate together. We must center students in this moment. Finally, I think it's important that we name a SPIRIS Charter was just renewed in May. I hope CPS is working hard to revise how they evaluate Charter operators using current
up to date financials based on real enrollment numbers and not on a magical number of new students, and that CPS is revising its rubrics and scoring system so that students are never put in a situation like this again. Any thirty seconds remaining? Renewal system should be applied to last year's renewals as a test case. If any of the Charter operators who has recently walked away from their students would have gotten a longer renewal under a new system that's a problem. Because we have seen time and time again that charter operators are not making decisions that are in the best interest of their students. Charter CEOs and their corporate style board of directors make decisions that are in the
best interest of their companies, their real estate, and their egos. And CPS has been listening to charter operator bosses and Inc. Spokespeople instead of the educators and families who are actually invested in our schools functioning property properly. It's time for CPS to prioritize protecting students and educators in the charter schools instead of the charter schools and their inks lobbyists. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next union rep is Charmaine Reeves, SEIU Local seventy three, director of the CPS division, who is here in person.
Morning, president Harden, board members, doctor King. I wanna talk about, some good things on today, because I see the theme here is talking about excellence. So going back to our most recent contract negotiations, we were able to reach an agreement on having, new hire orientation for newly hired seekers so that they could get onboarded and receive the same training all at the same time. For this most recent, PD day, the day after, Presidents' Day, that Tuesday, we had some of our, committee, who are also seekers, come out and observe that new hire
orientation, and they were taken aback. They were really, really impressed by the training. I wanna say the least senior on that committee is, like, a little bit more than twenty years. So the result of the feedback was, wow. I wish I had this type of training when we started. You know? So, but there is room for some improvement. We would like to partner with the appropriate parties to address the disconnect from the training versus how it trickles out to the school level so that it you know, all the content is properly implemented.
The next thing I wanna talk about is looking forward to school year budget 2627. We are still looking to engage in discussions on that, to see what can we do collaboratively in partnership to properly look into what's needed, for the best interest of students and workers in the district. As a union, we are going down to Springfield on March 25, which is the Wednesday of spring break, to and one of our priorities is to lobby for appropriate
funding for Chicago Public Schools. So we are looking to meet preferably before that date so that we can have the right talking points to the right representatives when we get down to Springfield. So if the appropriate person could just follow-up with me on that, we look forward to that. So thank you all. Thank you for your comments. The next union rep is Roshanda Williams, Unite Local One executive board member, who is here in person. Good afternoon, president Harden, CEO King, and board members.
My name is Rishanda Williams. I'm an executive board member with Unite Here Local One. I'm an executive board member with the Illinois AFL CIO, and I represent workers in hospitality. I'm here today in support on behalf of 1,700 Chicago Public School lunchroom workers that are represented by our union. It is past time for the Board of Education to sign a fair contract.
Let's talk about fairness. CPS lunchroom workers feed the students at Chicago Public Schools, rain or shine, every single day. Often, they must cover workloads of other positions to get the job done. My sister-in-law has been a CPS lunchroom worker for over twenty six years. Let's talk about dedication. I personally know the struggles she faces in ensuring that no child goes without a
meal. Her heart is big. She loves the kids, but she's seldomly validated. Again, let's talk about fairness. CPS lunchroom workers have been without a contract for over eight months. Lunchroom workers, by a survey that we've completed, and I have it if anyone wants to see it, are the lowest paid workers inside Chicago Public Schools. A recent survey shows 88% have had hardships meeting basic necessities.
61% considered themselves poor or very poor, and we're talking about the working class. Sixty seven percent reported having trouble paying for food. A CPS lunchroom attendant makes $22,000 less than a CPS custodian. Last last September, our union released a report that shows the struggles of CPS lunchroom
workers and what they face because of low wages. 90.7% of those lunchroom workers are people of color. Let that sink in. 90.7 are people of color. They deserve better. And if that doesn't resonate with you, with the people in this room, then there is something wrong. This is unacceptable. Every day the board fails to settle a fair contract is another day that CPS
lunchroom workers struggle to feed their families. They can't afford food. The working class, very poor. It is time for this board to recognize the in the inequities amongst these workers, treat them with dignity and respect, and pay them a livable wage. This isn't a ask anymore. It's a demand. In the words of the late reverend Jexy Jackson, I am somebody. We are somebody.
The CPS lunchroom workers are somebody. Please treat them as such. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. President Harden, we are now ready to call registered speakers from the speakers list. We will begin with speaker number one, Ashley Powell, who's here in person. Good morning. My name is Ashley Powell. Concern apply solely about the principal of Walker Elementary School. The principle appears untouchable. Leadership told that she is not addressed only if the situation is policy wise, ignoring
the direct harm to students. Walker is an ISP school, which seems to reduce oversight and accountability further enabling behavior concerning. Students' privacy violation. Students singled out by name, questions over the radio about family finances, public embarrassment, potential violations. Retaliation and safety concern. Students are targeted when parents raise any concerns. It's called they call it the line of fire. Students express fear of retaliation. Missed academic support. Tier three interventionists missed November 2024 due to the principal traveling abroad to Ireland with
two interventionist staff members. Students lost critical interactions, support, and possible misuse of of sick time. Leadership failure. Principle antagonize situations instead of deescalating hostile communication style, discouraging dialogue, and non communicative environment for staff, parents, and students. Manipulation tactics. Highly effective at controlling conversation, resist questions, and accountability creates climate You have thirty seconds
to make. Defensiveness and fear. Misuse of funds, principal alleged instructed the staff to do a miss wipe on on May 2 to attend her home for her prom send off. Her son's prom send off. Contract and voting concerns. Principal alleged is involved in the voting of her contract. She knows who voting and how the how the vote is being made. Intimidation, participation, possible staff posing as parents for the LSE election, integrity concerns, urgent requests. While Wacker is an amazing school, amazing school on paper, I fear that it's being
ran in fear and intimidation. Please conclude your remarks. Full full independent investigation is will be instructed for all these needs. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Andrea Solgado, speaker number two. Good afternoon, president Harden, doctor King, and board members. My name is Andres Salgado. I am a proud parent, educator, and community member at North River Elementary School located in Albany Park. I am here in strong support of the proposal to expand and grow our school community.
Our school is more than a building. It is a safe space, a center of opportunity, and a foundation for our children's future. As a parent with two daughters attending here, it gives me a sense of pride to know that they are receiving the best education. Over the years, we have seen increasing enrollment, growing interest from families, and a deep commitment from staff who constantly go above and beyond for our students. The demand is there, and the need is real. Right now, North River is operating at above capacity. Class sizes are stretched and shared spaces are limited and opportunities for programming are constrained,
not because of lack of vision, but because the lack of space. We have teachers sharing classrooms while trying to teach two curriculums. North River's English language student enrollment has increased over the past three years. Expansion will allow these teachers to offer bilingual and general education classrooms per grade level instructions for our students. Growth is not just about adding classrooms, it's about expanding opportunity. More programs, more resources, more support systems, and, of course, more pathways for student success. It's about investing in a school that is already working and giving it the tools
to do even more. You have thirty seconds remaining. We are a small but mighty community. We wanna be given the opportunity and consideration to grow by at least one more grade level, one more classroom. This proposal represents a forward thinking investment in our community. By supporting this expansion, you are supporting stability, equity for Albany Park students, and long term student achievement. I urge you to support this approval and help our school to grow, thrive, and serve our Chicago families in Albany Park at the highest level. Thank you for your time and commitment to our students.
Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Catherine Jones, speaker number three. Good thank you. Good at I think it's afternoon. Oh, I think it's afternoon. Hi, CEO King. Nice to meet you. Mister Harden, I'm back in Chicago. Thank you all. And, distinguished board members, I'm the one that been on the call for the last five, six months. I was in Atlanta helping my son. My son had surgery, but thank god he's doing okay. My grandbaby doing okay. I am here today to second set the record straight about Frederick Douglass High School.
I'm a local school council member for over twenty five years. I started with James Dean's in the in the Garfield area, and I'm still a local school council community rep at Douglass. And I'm advocating today on other on local school council members. Thank you all for saying the election because we are on the battlefield. Mister Bronson here and somebody else spoke to me came too, but thank god that you all recognize us because we don't get paid, and we're advocating for our children. Let Miss, at the record straight for Douglas, I heard some things. I heard my chairperson came down here last month and said something, and, it need
to be told. I advocate on the budget. I called in three or four times, and you all have never said me heard me down, nobody on that call. I don't think you all had anything that I said down anybody at my school or around my school. So set the record straight, I asked about the budget. Local school council member had authority to vote on the budget, to pass the budget, do all of that you all. I know my You have thirty seconds remaining? Thank you. I know my authority, and I'm gonna stand on keep doing my authority for my school, you all.
I don't care. The criticism come, whatever come. I'm a keep speaking up like John Lewis. Get in good trouble, whatever you call it. I'm a keep speaking up. We did not vote on a budget. That's the that's what started this. I was in Atlanta. We did not vote on a budget. I asked a question about something on the budget, you all. If I'm a little loud, I'm sorry because I'm very dis I'm very, unsettled by what I'm hearing. Somebody down here and somebody sitting in the audience. Keep my name out your mouth.
If you don't know if you don't know me that way, keep your name keep my name out your mouth. You don't know the my work speaks for me. Please repeat your remarks. Y'all heard everybody say it But, miss Jones, I don't get no reward. I don't get paid. God is the source of my strength, you all. I'm not ashamed that they just say it. So if you wanna meet with me, miss King, I'm still waiting to meet with you to get the whole story. I had two we had a meeting this morning about the budget. I got two budgets. I got one for I'm a be still in three minutes because everybody else went over went over their time. I got this on the four year report, and I got this from, the school's
budget manager, Aaron Watson. And this month on the seventeenth for our meeting. Someone here, he said, was not correct. So who budget I'm supposed to believe you all? I've been doing this for over twenty five years. I started in Garfield. My son is 44 years old, you all. 44. I started him in kindergarten. I've been advocating for all of these schools. All of these schools all my all my life, you all. And I'm over 65. Over probably over some of you all sitting there or right along with some of you all sitting there. So I don't like to disrespect whoever down here, whoever is that is sabotaging our
school, it need to be an investigation because the enrollment is being sabotaged. I told you all on the meeting. Go CPS. The kids was trying to put in for go CPS. I'm not the council. I'm not speaking up for the council. Speaking up for miss Jones, local school council member. And I'm not mad at you all. I'm just disappointed. I'm hearing all this good news about the art. Douglass can be a art school. We put in for it when mister Ahmed was there. Two twice, we put in for art performing art school, y'all. Our kids need all this talent, all school. We say equal opportunity. Okay then. Dear Douglass, what it need.
Thank you for your comments. Need. We voted you in for the g two part you you haven't done me right. You haven't done me right. I'm not down to you, brother. I love you. I told you that before, but somebody need to meet with me. Thank you thank you for your comments. I'm sorry, but I don't mean no harm to anybody. God bless you all. God tell you too. The next group of speakers are from Espira of Illinois. Edgar Lopez, speaker number five. Good morning. Good morning. Oh, good afternoon. I'm here to set the record straight. A lot of things are said. Some of it could be true, some of it, half truth, and some flat out
lies. So let me just say that because I they they they they kill my name. Right? I I'm the worst human being in the face of the earth. But that's okay because I got a god who sees what I do. Let me go back to a little history. I've been saying this forever. For at least three years, I've been saying charter schools and including Espira, we've been underfunded. State law says 97 to a 103%. We're getting a 93 83%. Last year, we think it was lower, but let's let's stick to 83%. Doctor King said all schools should be treated equally should be funded equally.
I always ask this question because I feel like Charters, we're stepchildren to CPS. Our families pay taxes just like all the rest of the families pay. And I'm getting beat up for it because I'm saying the truth. I'm not here to attack the union, attack anybody. It's just saying the truth. There's been recognition at least lately about that there's underfunding of charters. You have thirty seconds remaining. She took five minutes. Okay. There's questions on the finances. They can look at all the finances all they want. They're not gonna find nothing that's irregular. We've had clean audits for a number of years. This audit's late.
That's because the former audit the auditor that we had could not complete the they didn't wanna start the audit. They didn't think they were gonna get paid because all the news people talking bad about a speed up. We got an auditor. CPS in the letter that you guys received last night at 09:30 at night, they spoke to the auditors and the auditors are acknowledged they're working on the audit. They cannot give it to when they're gonna do it. But I know what they're gonna get done. They're gonna done in the at the end of this week. Please conclude your remarks. Is this really about the kids? It's not about me. I'm I'm close to retirement.
It is about the kids. Why you have to take the kids out of their classrooms, away from their teachers? We're it's you're talking about five weeks. That's what we're talking about because we're not funding for the last five weeks. Keep the school keep the school open. You take over the school for five weeks and keep the school the kids in the classrooms there with their teachers in the environment they know, and they can graduate as a as a as a classmates. That's all I ask for. If this is for the kids, then worry about the kids. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Christina Arco, speaker number six.
Good afternoon to all the board members that are present here today. I am a senior student at Aspira Early College. And for the last four years, my classmates and I have been studying diligently, taking AP classes, dual enrollment, and dual credit courses to prepare for university. And now we're only two months away from graduating. We're at risk of losing all of our hard work because as Peter is on track to closing the school due to lack of financial resources. It is not fair that the students' academics are affected by this financial situation since
transferring to another school at this point of the year will make us automatically lose all the college credits and AP courses that are required by the college board and the universities we plan to attend in the future. It is true that Aspira's actions have put us in this position. However, what is also true is that according to the Charter School article 27 a, that is the document I hold here in my hand right now, CPS is responsible for the operation of charter schools in Chicago. If CPS has audited and reviewed Aspira's financial statements over the last few years, Then
how could they not have noticed it as SPIRA's monetary problems since the very beginning? By authorizing ASPIRA's operation, CPS has been negligent and has as much responsibility as a SPEDA for the terrible situation where the students are in. And I want to quickly point out that any misuse of state You have thirty seconds remaining. Months. Thank you. Must be immediately referred to the state's attorney attorney's office and you and the US attorney for investigation as a handling of public funds must be protected by state and
federal law. In any case, I firmly believe it is not too late to take action. And I ask you and beg you to let us finish this school year at a speed and graduate alongside our peers and teachers before making any decisions about its closure. CPS has the obligation to preserve our rights as students and guarantee that we graduate on time at our school, but with our classmates and teachers. Please do not let us down. Thank you so much. Thank you for your comments.
The next speaker is Brian George Walsh Walsh, speaker number 14. Hello, board. I have a few just one can we restart the clock? Because my accompaniments are coming. Hello? Okay. Thank you. I come here as an educator, but I'm not gonna prostrate and grovel and talk about my wages or beg for my job. I'm here to advocate for one of the most underrepresented communities, in the last decade, the city of Chicago, and that's my adopted family. That's my community. It's my students here.
I gotta for you have to forgive me, but as a mathematician, I'm gonna rattle off a statistic here. School interruption has shown per an NIH study that students are twenty percent more likely to drop out of high school if they face an interruption in the middle of the school year. They're also more likely to face violence, and they are more likely to experience depression. These are all statistics, and they don't dignify the lives of the people standing next to me. We need assurances that the students will be looked after, and they will, sorry face as little fracture as possible.
Right. CPS needs to give them the dignity of an actionable plan that does not repeat history. This is your responsibility unless you are resigned to make them another statistic. We must have dedicated professionals helping families by moving students in cohorts if we are to close, and we need to make sure that these students can avoid all the previous pitfalls of transitions in the middle of the school year. Once again, this is my adopted family, and to hear all of this news that they may be closing and their lives may be fractured is extremely, extremely disheartening. If they're not moved together You have thirty six thirty eight.
Very much. If they're not able to stay together, then what are they gonna do? They're gonna do exactly what these statistics tell us time and time again. Proof that an administration, that an organization that organizes public schools can change the course of history, that you cannot make these students another statistic. There's no dignity in that. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Daniel Pio Perez, speaker number 16. Speaker 16, Daniel Pio Perez. Hello, everyone. I am I am a science teacher in Aspilarelli College, and I am here because
around this same dates last year, we went receive it. We were receiving some instructions with City College community. City Community College, will write for the doing dual credit subjects with our students. And then at the beginning of the year, we talk with our students and we try to convince them that you can do those subjects. Those will be credits for you. We talk when we convince our best students.
And right now, if the call if the institution is closed, if our students need to have to change the school, So those credits, that big effort done by our best students, it will be nothing. I think it's not fair. Even though if anything else can be done, I ask you, please, to take into account as a part of your plan that those students that they have struggled so much and they have worked so hard, please make it possible to take their credits
with them when they trans do the transition to other school if there is no other possibility. But at the end, the it's heartbreaking to see all those sit all that situation, but, please, the best the best solution is to keep us together as students, as teacher, and as a community that we are. Thank you so much. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Leila Calderon, speaker 17. As a reminder, for anyone standing with a speaker, please stand along the glass partitions,
on the marked spots. Good afternoon. My name is Ayla Calderon. I am a senior at Espiritu Business and Finances. I would like to bring major awareness to CPS that our school is closing in the middle of second semester, which would be a huge problem for all attending students, especially the seniors. Our graduation has a set date, which is May 26. With the school closing, that that will not only interrupt students' education, but their social and emotional well-being. I wanna want to be able to do the things all kids look for at
two, four years, like graduating with their friends and classmates that they have memories and struggled through classes together. I am part of senior committee that has been planning events like prom graduation and Six Flags field trips. To learn that my classmates and I can no longer experience these experiences is heartbreaking. It is extremely stressful to transfer, especially with only two and a half months left of school. My many of my classmates experience high level of anxiety, stress, and stress.
Some sometimes coming to school we have attended for three and a half years seems hard because we are riddled with anxiety that comes with comes from stress and being a teenager. Our school is small. There are 340 students. We know almost everybody within the school, and it's very close it's a very close knit community. It feels like a You have thirty seconds remaining? Now that we know it's it's official that we will be transferred out of our
neighborhood neighbor neighborhood CPS schools, how will you make sure that our schools and emotional needs are being met? We have worked with the same counselor for from day one as a freshman and who has been like a parent to us, who will make us who make sure at our new school that we are taken care of that way. Miss Friedman has cared for us, supported throughout the last three and a half years.
CPS, I hope you consider this and so much more as our transition plans are be being made. We want to be able to graduate together, and I hope you make assurance that this happens. We want we will be depending on you to make choices that are best for us. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Lobel Turner, speaker 18. Good afternoon. My name is Lavell Turner, and I'm an Afro Latino that goes to Espira. I'm a senior, and I've been going to Hesperia since freshman year. I'm on the baseball team and take AP classes at Hesperia. Hesperia has Hesperia has helped me become who I am today.
I'm here today in front of me because I'm concerned about my future. There's so much uncertainty about my future that a second semester senior should not be going through. Where will I be going? Will my AP classes be transferred to other schools? Will all my credits be transferred? Will this affect my college applications? Will I graduate? These are some questions that have been on my mind. On top academics, I'm also concerned about extracurriculars. Will I still be able to play in spring sports because of certain rules? Why am I forced to give up my athletic development due to mismanagement of the of the administration? Why is there no guidance for other students? Much more seniors that are going through changes right now.
We should not have to pay or sacrifice our future. We should not have to pay or sacrifice our future because we work as hard as many other seniors. We should be celebrating our accomplishments and getting ready for college, but instead, here I am in front of the board. Today, I asked the Board of Education to allow me and other students to take where we want to go for school. Graduation was taken from us. We are entitled to have a say, to avoid disruption for our own education. I asked the board thirty seconds to speak. Board of education to make sure our credits are transferred and to make sure we could join extracurriculars like Springs boards.
I would like the board to ensure we transfer in cohorts so we can see familiar faces around us. One more thing I'd like to say is the CEO has lied to many of us. Edgar Lopez is a liar. He's lied to many students, teachers, and parents, and he should be the only one that takes the fall for this. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Jennifer Leon, speaker number 19. Good afternoon, everyone. I've been fortunate enough to be a teacher at Aspira, Business and Finance High School for the last eight years. What I found most inspiring, and what's kept me in this school is the sense
of community felt by staff and students. And it's very disheartening to learn that that might be coming to an end, very soon with very little transparency. My concern, is mostly for the social and emotional well-being of our students. For especially the seniors to miss a lot of their benchmarks, which dates have already been set for. And then for, you know, the rest of our student body who has, siblings that go to nearby schools. Okay? This does not just affect, like, our student body. It affects, families who rely on, you know, their oldest students to, like, pick up,
you know, their younger siblings and, it affects like their credits. I I don't really trust that credits will be transferred over the way that they should for all of these students. And lastly, it just the contigo, contiguity of, staff and students. I think there needs to be a plan in place, a comprehensive plan for students and staff to transfer together and to ensure that these students don't lose their credits. And besides that, we have, a great portion of our student body that, are ELL
and, IEP students. And You have thirty second committee? Need to be communicated, clearly with the schools that they transfer into. And that's all I have to say. So Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Alvin Colon, speaker number 22. Alvin Colon, teacher at Espira Business and Finance High School, teacher of public school students. I'm here to ask that you not punish the many for the faults of a few. Looking back at the reasons against us, Pete, on both emails and newspaper articles are
allegations of lack of transparency, financial mismanagement, failure to adjust for declining enrollment. I have no evidence to refute any of that, but I do know that not a student or teacher at Espira is responsible for any of it. Our students are responsible for working on improving themselves and striving toward the futures they want for themselves, just like students anywhere else. My colleagues and I have been responsible for working diligently to equip our students with the knowledge and skills necessary for them to attain those futures that they want for
themselves, just like anywhere else. And neither teachers nor students are responsible for managing the financial aspects of what it takes to run a charter school, just like at any other school. Yet for the faults of the few, it looks to be that hundreds of students and their parents will be forced to look for another school in which to enroll. Twelfth grade students will not be able to graduate from the school that they had hoped. They they would alongside the classmates that they have known for so long.
You have thirty seconds or many? May be lost, including APM dual credit classes. Livelihoods for two schools of educators are to be lost, and careers interrupted despite a teacher shortage. Please allow us to finish the school year with dignity, get back to negotiating a way to finish the year, or make a plan to unilaterally make sure that our students will be more than okay. Our community deserves better. Our students are equally as much public school students as students at CPS schools. Our teachers serve public school students all the same as CPS teachers even if not
directly under the employ of CPS. Can we please get an equal school year? Thank you for your time. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Melody Diaz, speaker 23. Hello and good afternoon. My name is Melody Diaz and I'm a senior at Superior Business and Finance. I've been here all four years of my high school life and I really and it's been really great. And And I was really looking forward to graduating from this school with my friends and my peers. Throughout these four years, I've done everything I can to make sure I would graduate
with the most possibilities I could for my future. I've joined softball senior committee, mentorship committee, and national honor society. And, it's really upsetting to have to lose those things because of the actions of an adult. Today, I'm really here to find out or to see how everything's gonna move forward with everything that has happened. I'm advocating for myself and my peers. This news has completely unrooted our lives right now, and we are left wondering things like we'll be able to graduate on time or at all. We'll be able to graduate with our with, the people we've spent four years making
connections with and getting to know and our friends. I have been able to take so many AP classes, and I'm wondering if I'll be able to get these credits traveled with me to my college or not. It is there are some kids here who, moved mid like, midyear to another state, and we wanna know if they will be coming with us to another CPS school or will they be happy to move to the state they are now. The main thing I'm worried about is my fellow classmates because we are all Latino and Hispanic.
You have thirty seconds remaining? We are with everything going on right now, it's unsafe for us at some places, and we wanna go to a school that's safe with everything that's going on. What about the sports team? Some teams require more things than our school does, and I'm really worried to not be able to finish my soccer ball year. I've been looking forward to my senior night, and I was, like, I was finally gonna get to play catcher. Right now, I won't. So today, I'm here in front of you all asking for the board of education to help us with the situation and help us finish this year off smoothly and,
most importantly, to be able to graduate on time and with my classmates because we shouldn't have to suffer for someone else's poor actions. Thank you for your time, and have a great rest of your day. Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from the Espiro of Illinois group is Melissa b, speaker 25. The speaker has had to leave the meeting and has submitted her comments. We'll go on to the next speaker, Esmeralda Gutierrez, speaker seven. We'll now have the, statement translated. Good morning good morning, members of the Board of Education, principals, teachers, and parents.
My name is Esmeralda Gutierrez, and I am a member of the Chicago Multilingual Parent Council, or CMPC. Within the CMPC, I represent the Bilingual Special Education Subcommittee. I am also the parent of a student with an Individualized Education Plan, or IAP, who receives bilingual services. I am here with my colleagues, who represent nearly 90,000 bilingual students in CPS and their parents, who face challenges in our school system. Our focus is on bilingual students who are learning English as a second language, and bilingual students who receive special education.
According to a recent study by the University of Chicago, bilingual students who do not achieve English proficiency and remain in the bilingual program long term do not progress in the same way as those who receive adequate support and pass the ACCESS state exam. This lack of equitable access creates academic inequalities that we could avoid by strengthening our bilingual programs. Many bilingual students fail to achieve English proficiency because they do not receive the support necessary to develop strong academic and linguistic foundations in the early grades.
Effective bilingual education must ensure three essential components: academic content instruction in the native language to ensure comprehension, strategic strategies, specific strategies that facilitate access to content while acquiring English, and systematic instruction in English as a second language, or ESL. As you prepare next year's budget, please consider this request to allocate funds for the sixteen week after school tutoring program traditionally offered in elementary schools. This lack of additional support significantly limits the progress of students who need more time,
practice, and support to develop and master the language, putting their long term academic success at risk. In our secondary school, bilingual students have the option of taking four English as a second language classes that are equivalent to the English credits required by the state for graduation. The problem is that there is no curriculum for these four ESL classes in secondary school. We also ask that attention be given to the lack of resources and guidance for parents who have bilingual students with disabilities. Many do not receive the guidance necessary to understand educational processes and advocate for their
children's rights. In addition, we must ensure that they are certified bilingual special education teachers with training in bilingual instruction, as this area is currently underserved. When the linguistic resources of bilingual children are ignored when they receive an IEP, their needs are set aside, and with them, there are opportunities for academic and personal success. Data has proven that multilingual students outperform monolingual students. That is why today, we ask this board to: fund ELs tutoring in high schools,
ensure the presence of certified special education and bilingual staff, provide accessible guides and workshops for parents in their language, Recognize that the language development of bilingual children is an academic necessity, not a privilege. Because when we support language learning, we also strengthen inclusion, equity, and the future of our children. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next speaker is the our next two speakers are from University of Chicago Charter
School, Latoya Thomas, speaker number eight. I'm sorry. Latoya Lewis, speaker number eight. Good morning, board members, educators, supporters, that are occupying this space. Good afternoon. I'm sorry. My name is Latoya Lewis, and I'm honored to stand before you today in a dual capacity as both a parent and a teacher that's invested in the future of NKO Charter School. It is rare to experience a school from both perspectives, but as a teacher, I see the hard work that is happening behind the scenes, the data meetings, the intentional
lesson planning, targeted interventions, and the relentless belief that our children can. The improvement in our academic data, both qualitative and quantitative, is not accidental. It reflects strategic instruction, accountability, and a shared commitment to our excellence. Our students are on an upward trajectory because the adults in our building are intentional about every step forward. As a parent, my perspective is just as personal. I see a school where my child feels safe, valued, and inspired. I see the confidence building. I see excitement about learning. I see teachers who care deeply, not just about performance, but about character as well.
NKO's growth is measured not only by our rising scores, but by the strength of our climate and culture. There is structure, consistency, and a sense of belonging. Our students are known by name. They're supported, and they are challenged, and our families are welcomed as partners in their child's learning experiences. NKO's academic achievement is grounded in our core stick values. They are not just displayed on our walls. They are exercised daily. These values are not suggestions. Thank you. They are expectations. Students are learning to manage themselves, collaborate effectively, act with integrity, and commit to their
goals and treat others with kindness. That foundation is not only shaping our scholars to be strong scholars but strong leaders. Renewing this charter means continuing a powerful upward trajectory of unwavering commitment to our students. We are not just asking you to allow us to keep going. We are allowing we are asking, I'm sorry, you to allow us to continue growing. Today's charter renewal represents an important movement, of accountability for our organization. It's about demonstrating that we're still Please conclude your remarks.
Still qualified, still responsible, and continually improving how we serve our students. We are keeping our students at the forefront because they are who matter. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from the University of Chicago Charter School is Charles Alexander, speaker 29. Good afternoon to president Harden, CEO King, and also members of the board. My name is Charles Alexander, and and I serve as a senior director of the college graduation office at the University of Chicago Charter Woodland campus, also known as UCW.
In this role, I have the privilege of leading incredible team of college counselors and alumni director. Who walk alongside our scholars every step of the way. From post secondary planning to graduation and beyond, today, we respectfully request a five year charter renewal so we can can continue serving the Woodlawn community and building on a legacy we've worked so hard to establish. At UCW, our college graduation office exists to ensure that every scholar has access to
real post secondary opportunities, individual graduation plans, and continue alumni support long after they leave our building. The commitment doesn't end in high school graduation. Because of our attentional alumni outreach and support, UCW graduates graduates persist in college at one of the highest rates among charter schools in a in a district and among the top schools serving predominantly black students. This is from a two and through two and through two High School Matters, u University of Chicago. Over the past three years, we've reached remarkable milestones.
Last year, graduating class, just 76 students earned more than 75,000,000 in college scholarships, a record breaking achievement for our schools. Our current class of twenty twenty six You have thirty seconds remaining? Over 60,000,000 and on pace to surpass that record. We have consistently achieved a 100% college acceptance rates, ensuring every senior has a pathway forward. Beyond the numbers, our students participate in college tours, college fairs, mock interviews, do credit courses, and enrichment opportunities to prepare them for, after high school.
What truly sets UCW apart, though, it's not just its outcomes. It's the relationship building. Because we are close knit sixth to twelfth grade campus, we have the ability to truly know our students. We build meaningful connections. We create safe spaces. Many of our scholars face challenges outside of school, and we take seriously our responsibility to be a place of stability, encouragement, and opportunity. Please conclude your remarks. I say this not only as an educator, but as someone who grew up in Woodlawn on 65th in Champlain, just a few blocks from UCW. Working at UCW, personally for me, I see every day the limitless put possibilities and
potential in our students. Opportunities that weren't always affordable to many of us growing up in this community. Through strong partnerships with organizations like Urban Alliance, Hidden Genius, Chicago Scholars and Posse Foundation, our scholars gained transformative experiences to expand their aspirations. In closing, we are proud to serve as a vital part of the Woodlawn community and the broader city of Chicago. Granting this five year charter renewal allows us to continue doing what we do best, opening doors, changing trajectories, and assure that every scholar who walks through the doors graduates
with a plan and a future of a future full of possibility. Thank you for your time, continued partnership, and belief in our mission. Thank you for your comments. The next, few speakers are from the Chicago High School for the Arts, Alexander Cookman, speaker number nine. Hello. My name is Alex Cookman. I am a social science teacher at Shai Arts High School and the academic union delegate. We began the meeting today hearing about the centrality of arts education and our vision for the future of CPS, and I echo the accounts from speakers about the transformative
power of arts education because I see it every day. But I am here speaking to you because those arts education goals for the district are currently being met at Shai Arts High School whose future is now under threat. Our school community is devastated following a meeting with the office of portfolio management during which it was suggested that the Shire Arts transition must involve gutting the arts conservatory program that you voted unanimously to preserve. Our school community was equally unanimous in our opposition to these proposals, which were framed
as unavoidable and nonnegotiable guardrails. But we have already solved for the identified issues and presented those solutions to CPS. Dismantling the conservatory program in this fashion is not an inevitability. It's a deliberate choice and a harmful one. We will we were told during the meeting that the school day can only last seven hours and fifteen minutes due to CPS's current labor agreements, school code, and policies. But as our CTU reps have already expressed, staggered schedules provide a simple solution to this problem and are currently in practice. We were told that arts classes will be pushed into the academic day.
This leaves little time for true in-depth arts instruction and will prove difficult to square with the demands of college and career readiness. What will happen to our successful academic program if the arts are forced to supplant our diverse range of course offerings, such as forensic science and ethnic studies? Finally, we were told that a vaguely defined optional after school program called an expanded pathway will take the place of the arts education we currently provide. This proposal fails to replicate the depth and rigor of our conservatory model. I am calling on the board to please not waver in your commitment to shy
arts and to arts education more broadly. Instead of funding a destructive proposal over the objections of our school community, we ask that you instead support our proposal of a fully funded eight to 5PM school day. We are a creative school not asking for creative solutions, but providing them. Please work with us to protect our education in CPS. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Erin Brown, speaker 12. Hello, and good morning to all. My name is Aaron Brown. This is my ninth year teaching and my third year working at Shai Arts as
a math teacher. First, thank you for a speedy principal selection process. We are excited to work with doctor Fies. His hiring is an an essential piece of the stability our school is seeking. At the community meeting this past Tuesday, folks were understandably frustrated about CPS's proposed school model and confusing guardrails. We do not believe the model and the guardrails presented by CPS preserve essential components of Shea Arts and would be harmful to our community as a whole. Our current and ideal model is an eight to five school day with fifteen hours
of arts instruction per week. During these fifteen hours, students take both credit bearing and noncredit bearing arts classes, our multilingual learners and students with IEPs and five zero fours receive services, and our arts teachers have an uninterrupted block of time dedicated to arts planning and instruction. The model proposed by CPS on Tuesday would eliminate the continuous arts block by dispersing arts classes throughout the day. While this change might seem small, a loss of blocked art time would impact the flexibility and novelty in arts course offerings, make planning and teaching more difficult for our
arts staff, and could result in students losing essential supports they currently receive throughout the entire arts day. Additionally, dispersing arts classes into the school day and pushing essential arts instruction to after school programming does not communicate arts prioritization, is vague in its description of how students interact with said after school programming, and opens the door to deprioritizing and defunding arts instruction for our students, which is instruction they currently receive.
The integration model on the surface may seem beneficial, but in reality would be detrimental for students pursuing art at a highly specialized high school like Chey Arts and essentially destroy the conservatory model. Please, we urge you to use the CTO pro the CTU proposed Shy Arts model. Preserve the extended school day. Keep the un an uninterrupted arts block intact. Approach the integration of Shy Arts with creativity and truly prioritize art at Shy Arts. Fund the arts district wide.
Save Shy Arts. Keep a spirit open throughout the year. Support students district wide. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from Chicago High School for the Arts is Christian Hellum, speaker 20. Hello, everyone. My name is Christian Hellum. I am an alumni teaching artist at the Chicago High School for the Arts, from the theater and dance department. I attended the meeting on Tuesday where CPS officials presented a presented a schedule that showed our school community that, the officials don't quite understand our preprofessional curriculum.
As a teaching artist, I was a little upset because we have been called experts, and I'd like to think I'm an expert. Yet if I were if you had come to me as an expert, I would have told you that in a fifteen hour week, that it takes about nine hours just to prepare for one performance. That's because they're 16. That's because we're trying to show them what it's like for two artists, me and another teaching artist, to collaborate together and then send them off to do the exact same thing, that it takes time for students to transition from a math class to
the ballet bar, that it takes time to get dressed. All of this takes time. And if an acting class becomes a third period class, then students lose a little bit of that transition. The Shire Arts admin has cut our departments down so much that our kids don't take field trips. And this is just another disruption in our arts programming. Now I wanna put out thirty seconds remaining? That both Velez and Smith said, which is that arts take a lot of time,
and it can open up something that you've never seen. And right here is my diploma from ShyArts. And the word ShyArts, the name, while beautiful, while we have made it something, has only is only as important as the teaching artists and the work that we've done in the classroom. And if we cut that down, if we diminish that, we're diminishing the arts. If we cut that down, we're taking out the preprofessional instruction that we have built over the last fifteen years.
So close remarks. I'd ask that you consider what you said on Tuesday night to be a dress rehearsal, a rough draft. And we appreciate how much work you all have put together for this. We really do. But our CTU has proposed an eight to 5PM school day that centered our current staff, listened to our community feedback. And if you need more, talk to us. I invite every single one of you to shadow a student. Shadow me for a three hour school or a three hour arts block. I invite each and every one of you all Please conclude your remarks.
Classroom. Because shy arts will, regardless of the name, have the work that keeps it together. And it will always be a place for young artists and the great minds of the city. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next group of speakers are from the Academy for Global Citizenship. Cindy Jimenez, speaker number 10. Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Cindy Jimenez, and I'm a proud mom of Rosalie, a student at the Academy for Global Citizenship. Rosalie began her journey here in preschool in the bumblebee classroom.
Back then, she came home buzzing about new letters, new friends, and very serious reminders that we needed to turn off the lights in order to save the planet. At just three years old, she was already holding our household accountable. Now she is in the Medusa classroom in kindergarten. Well, the name sounds fierce. What we've seen is something even more powerful. We've seen growth. One of the most incredible changes I've witnessed is how Rosalie now sees the world around her. What I see as something that maybe just needs to go in the recycle bin, such as a box, a bottle cap, a piece of cardboard, she sees a possibility.
She transforms it into a model, a structure, a whole world of art through her eyes. What looks like scraps to me really becomes imagination in her hands, and that just doesn't happen by accident. That happens in a school that teaches children to think differently, to problem solve, to innovate, to see value where others might not, to understand that even something small can be transformed into something meaningful. Yes. She is learning to read and write, and, yes, she is learning math, but she's
also, learning about creativity, sustainability, and responsibility and confidence. She talks about composting at dinner. Thirty seconds remaining. Why she shouldn't waste water. She reminds us which bin things belong in and sometimes even corrects us. And while she still occasionally loses her sweater at school, she's gaining something far more important, a sense of purpose. The teachers here do more than educate. They nurture curiosity. They encourage questions. They build classrooms where children feel safe enough to try, to fail, to create, and
to grow. Thank you to all the AGC teachers, especially miss Susie, miss Lupe, and miss Franco. A ten year charter renewal is not just about keeping a school open. It's about sustaining a place that is shaping thoughtful, compassionate, innovative young people starting at just three years old. Rosalie is not just being Please compare to remarks. The next grade. She's being prepared to think critically, to take to care deeply, and to believe she can make a difference. I'm just I'm not just asking you to renew, our our charters, our ten year charters, sorry about that.
Renew the charter for ten years so that children like Rosie can continue to grow in a community that sees their potential even in what others might overlook. And just lastly, wrapping up, sometimes what seems even a small or disposable thing holds an extraordinary potential when it's given the opportunity to grow. And in this school, at AGC, they're giving us a chance to grow every single day. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Amaya Rangel Rangel, speaker 15. Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Amaya Rangel, and I'm proud to serve as the student council president
at the Academy for Global Citizenship. Over the past three years, I've had the opportunity to complete more than five internships, three different positions in our k eight student council, and attend selective national leadership building opportunities for student leaders. And I stand here today as proof of what AGC can prepare its students to achieve. At AGC, we're taught how to think critically, ask questions, and to care about all communities. Through the IB and dual language program, we dive deeper, learn hands on, and push
ourselves to grow as much as we could. Besides our students, our teachers believe in our potential and push us to grow not only as our own students, but as our own person. They encourage us to they push it they encourage us to push ourselves and challenge us as we as we move forward in school and post secondary and and on forward. Because of this support, I will be entering high school very soon feeling academically ready and very much confident in my voice.
I'm here today and soon will graduate as a reflection of what happens when a student is empowered, challenged, and believed in. I kindly request that you renew my amazing school, AGC, for ten more years so that more kids like me You have thirty seconds remaining. Class educational model. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from the Academy for Global Citizenship is Tavares West, speaker 30. Good afternoon, everyone. Pleasure to be here. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be able to speak. My name is Tavares West.
I'm a spring twenty twenty four honors graduate from Howard University with a degree in finance. Born and raised here in Chicago, Illinois, specifically, Inglewood. I also am a proud alumni from the 2016 inaugural class of the Academy for Global Citizenship, and I stand here today excited to be here to speak to you all. If we can go back in time and speak to that young first grader and ask him, could he imagine himself here today serving on the board of his elementary school or serving as a team lead at E Trade for Morgan Stanley? He would have laughed and told you no. He was destined to be a Power Ranger, but here we are today.
Nonetheless, that young boy and me standing here today, I wanted to help my community and help people that look like me. And, yeah, that may have changed a little differently from going to fight bad guys as a Power Ranger, but now educating my community with financial literacy. And then coming back to my school, helping the generation like this young lady here herself, and being able to be a voice for these people and show that AGC is an amazing institution. AGC cultivates an environment and norm where helping people was just second nature or as easy as breathing. We live in a world where there are so many ways where we identify ourselves and that can separate us.
But at the end of the day, I'm a person. You all hear people. The people watching virtually are also people as well. So why would the way you identify yourself make me treat you any less of a person or not offer help when I can provide that? I believe leaders are individuals who people who have the capacity to assist peers and elevate them in their everyday endeavors to reach their potential. You have thirty seconds remaining. Thank you. And I'm confident when I say AGCU is a school that nurtures young leaders, not just here in the city of Chicago, but on a global level. That is in the name, the Academy for Global Citizenships.
They're not just leaders for Chicago. They're leaders that will make an impact in any environment they step into. I kindly ask that you renew AGC for the maximum length of ten years in their charter program. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and you all have a great rest of your day. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Mariana Munoz, speaker 11. We'll have the statement translated. My name is Mariana Munoz, and I'm the mother to Natalia, who is currently in ninth grade. Natalia has been part of a set of schools since kindergarten, and we've seen firsthand the commitment and dedication this educational community has with its students.
Throughout her school journey, Natalia developed some learning difficulties. However, thanks to the assistance by a great team of specialists and the school's constant attention, these difficulties were attended to with love, patience, and professionalism. Today, Natalie is an excellent student, confident and motivated to continue growing. I also wish to share that I have a son who attended Garcia High School, and his experience was extraordinary. He graduated thoroughly prepared for the next chapter of his life. And today, he's at college, demonstrating that the education he received at Acero truly opens
doors and transforms futures. As a mother, I am profoundly grateful for the support our Aracero schools give our families and children. That's why, with much hope and conviction, I request that charter schools receive a lot of renewal, so that more students can continue benefiting of a quality education that changes lives. Thank you for listening to our voices and believing in the future for of our children. Thank you. The next speaker is Josh Mashoff, speaker 21. It's originally said good morning. Now it says good afternoon, members of the board, presidency, president Hardin, and CEO King.
I might be the only one that stands up here today with a a proposal for you to save money and still give more choice. My name is Josh Mashoff. I'm a pig farmer from Southern Illinois and past president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association. I'm here today to request a review and reconsideration of the pork prohibition into Chicago Public Schools' local school wellness policy. It's not simply a menu issue. It's a fiscal issue. CPS serves more than 325,000 students and prepares 350,000 meals every day.
At that scale, even the minor changes in sourcing can translate into major budget impacts. Due to its pork ban, CPS cannot utilize pork available through the USDA Foods and section 32 purchasing program. The district is leaving money on the table, excluding itself from locally grown nutrient dense protein, often available at reduced or no cost from Washington. Let me offer two very clear examples. First, on a weekly basis, CPS misses out on 5,500,000.0 in federal dollars because 39% of students skip lunch and 56% skip breakfast.
When participation drops, federal money is left on the table. Offering culturally familiar, widely consumed items like pork breakfast sausage dramatically increases student participation. This leads to not just better performance for students, but directly increases federal revenue for CPS. Second, direct cost savings. Over the course of the school year, using a pork sausage patty instead of a beef patty at breakfast saves CPS more than $1,200,000. That's just for a single item. Imagine what broader flexibility could mean across 350,000 meals per day.
This is also gaining broader attention. Illinois leadership recognizes that CPS ban affects students and forfeits millions of dollars from the system. Sonia Harper, chairwoman of the Illinois House Ag Committee and former CPS student, senator Selena Villanueva, both have resolutions in the Illinois General Assembly calling for the review of this policy. This is not about mandating pork. This is about choice. Restoring Please complete your remarks. Increasing participation, reducing costs, and allowing CPS nutritionists and procurement to use every fiscal tool
available. The current prohibition was adopted in 2020 without discussion. Pork is a nutrient dense high protein quality recognized in the 2025 to 2030 guidelines. We ask the board to initiate a formal review of the pork prohibition, examine the fiscal implications, and provide CPS the flexibility needed to responsibly manage costs while serving students nutritious, delicious, and affordable protein. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Gina Sheriff, speaker 24. Good afternoon. I have called Almanac Park home since 2012, and I teach at Haugen Elementary.
What I have witnessed at Haugen in the last few years is a neighborhood school miracle story, a thriving school a thriving school that families believe in, as you can see. As you know, we are in an overcrowding crisis. I'm here to request a community survey and community hearing to determine the best use of the space at 3729 West Leland. You might have heard of that property in the last few months because there is a long history of Hagen's needs being dismissed. In 2005, Hagen Middle School at the West Leland location was built to alleviate overcrowding
at the existing Hagen Elementary School. However, the building became an Espira Charter School instead and neighborhood resources were diverted from the neighborhood school. We heard a lot today about how that has turned out. Here we are here here we all are 21 later with the same overcrowding problem. But this time, there's still an option because there's space at the Leland Building. Our community has been advocating in good faith, yet we have been pressured to to be silenced, even to the point that we are given the ultimatum to agree to
decreasing our thriving pre k program or lose support for our dual language application. There are many dual language schools in our neighborhood because that's what our community needs, yet not for Haugen. There's overwhelming data that supports the strong pre k program, but not for seconds remaining? This district has said that they want to invest more in neighborhood schools. And here we see a textbook opportunity, but not for Haugen. Library, not for Haugen. Art on a cart, we can't have a building or we don't have space for it at Haugen. Instead, precious neighborhood resources are being allocated to, lottery school.
I want to remind you of your power as the board of ed. You may not have been there twenty one years ago, but you are here now and you can make a change. You have the power to invest in the momentum of our school community. Let the process be transparent. We need to hear from the portfolio committee of an accountable act accountability for their actions and decisions. Your action or any to complete your remarks. Impact every minute of education for Haugen students. For too long, it's been no, not for Haugen. But today, it's time to say yes for Haugen too. Thank you. Thank you for your comments.
The next speaker is doctor Angel Alvarez, speaker 26. Thank you. I'm doctor Angel Alvarez. This board has championed the belief that those closest to the problem should be closest to the solution. That's why I'm here disheartened that more isn't being done to support students with disabilities, empower our LSCs, provide budget transparency, and provide accurate information about the growth our students have had since the pandemic. I am the president of the office for student with disabilities local, family advisory board.
I was elected to that position on platform of making sure we improve services and communication to families that need it. We meet the third Thursday of every month at 6PM. I invite you to come. When you come, you will see us talk about best practices to provide services for students with disabilities. You will have a report that I provide showing particular areas of disparity and how we can make improvement, and you will hear from families about the need to do better regarding children's particular schools. Our LSCs. I have shared continual problem with how CPS supports local school councils, and I've presented
an analysis showing that schools that support low income students of color are having the parent voices silenced. This has to change. CPS has taken the best aspects of local leadership and have burdened us with bureaucracy. This has to change. The budget. I have shared how CPS's financial situation is far You have thirty seconds. Communicated. I've implored this board provide transparency on school level funding and accurate budget projections. You shouldn't be surprised that schools are going over budget because I told you that
was going to happen. Student growth. Two years ago, CEO Martinez and CPS bureaucrats have championed how CPS was number one in student gains since the pandemic. I was here saying that Harvard and Stanford study was wrong. Harvard and Stanford revised those numbers. Those gains were not accurate. Now that we know better, we can do better. Please meet with me and let's do better by our students. Thank you so much for your service. Thank you for your comments. And the last speaker from a registered speaker's list is doctor Carolina Barrera Toban, speaker 28.
My statement is in Spanish, and I can translate it into English. Actually, if you could speak, say it in English. I'm sorry. Yes, please. Thank you. And it's Carolina. You have thirty seconds remaining? Now I can say it in English? Okay. Thank you. Good afternoon, board members and, CEO, doctor King. I'm here to follow-up on the email that Clemente's LSC chair, Faria, sent to board members about a series of systemic irregularities that have compromised the principal selection process at Roberto Clemente Community Academy over the last nine months. What's happening at Clemente is a coordinated effort to undermine community led governance.
These issues range from the denial of translation services for Spanish speaking parents to severe violations of the Illinois Open Meeting Act, including the holding of unauthorized fora and, allowing ineligible members to vote in closed sessions. We have filed formal complaints regarding these irregularities. Currently, the LSC is being systematically stacked to favor a specific outcome. The interim principal has unilaterally posted two parent vacancies on a Thursday and closed them the very next day, effectively excluding any parent without immediate Internet access or the ability
to visit the school within twenty four hours. Furthermore, the non teaching staff candidate that was supposed to be up for appointment today at this board meeting has documented personal ties to three existing council members, two relatives, including two relatives. These appointments are being rushed through opaque and unethical procedures specifically to secure a voting majority. At our last meeting, during which that chair had planned to expose these irregularities, the interim principal and two teacher pres representatives actively blocked the chair from participating and two other parent reps from participating virtually, while simultaneously preventing our student vice chair from exercising
his lawful leadership duties. Let me repeat that, preventing our student from exercising his lawful leadership duties in a public forum. So, yes, we agree with what board member Brown's or what board member, Smith said that 14% is too low. We must put students first, and this means administration and teachers need to do so as well. These failures have been exacerbated by a lack of proactive support from LSC relations. Guidance is only provided retroactively or reactively after parent representatives spend hours fighting over accountability.
This administrate this administrative impunity marginalizes vulnerable groups and shield those in power. We respectfully request that this board pause the appointment of the non teaching staff representative at Clemente until all pending investigations into misconduct and OMA violations are concluded. Clemente deserves a process rooted in truth and transparency, not one defined by convenience, opacity, and nepotism. We ask the board to stand with our parents and protect the integrity of the LSC system established by Harold by mayor Harold Washington. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. President Hardin, we also have two elected officials who would like to address the board.
We'll begin with Alderman Byron Sucho Lopez from the 25th Ward who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. Good afternoon, members of the board, doctor King, members of the audience, and our community at large. Thank you for, allowing us to to share with you concerns and, and the need for us to come together. Today, more than ever, we see the attacks on public education. We have a federal government invested in destroying community cities like ours because we think
differently. For anybody who heard the unhinged state of the union, will agree that that is not the future that we want for our kids. We do not want, neither believe, neither will ever accept the supremacy, the comparison to, or trying to treat us like animals, subhumans. We must come together in our city to make sure that never again our government is bought out by billionaires.
If it's either Michael Sachs or Elon Musk, we must, as parents, as a father, as an elected official, as an immigrant, as a parent of CPS, refuse to normalize and tolerate such rhetoric of hate and racism that is spreading like wildfire in our country. Here in Chicago, we must stand together, and that's what I'm calling on the board of education to join us, to go to Springfield, and once and for all, fulfill the commitment to fully funded schools. It is unacceptable.
It is horrific to see the conditions on our schools where we have so much trauma. Now we see the federal government deploying indictments to public education districts like in LA simply for protecting children from pedophiles and those who spread hate and want to pit us against each other. In Chicago and Illinois, we know the importance of public schools. We have a governor, Prisco, who has also shared publicly at least that he wants to fully fund our schools, but yet we we yet to see action.
I'm calling on all of us to urge governor Pritzker to tax the millionaires. A 3% surcharge will generate $4,500,000,000 that can be used for property tax relief and fully fund our schools. Today, with sadness, I see how schools and, again, we definitely need oversight and accountability on charter networks. And I tell you that I see with great concern shutting down the schools in the middle of the year, we need to provide a solution. I urge the board of education as we are pushing for accountability and making sure
that never again we see what we saw with UNO slash a set of schools. And these same profiteers like Juan Rangel now running tax with Michael Sachs to buy elections after they betrayed the trust of the public and teach communities against each other. Never let that pass to come back. We need to ensure that these children, mainly immigrant undocumented people who are trying to make ends meet in attempt of being terrorized and being attacked like never before. Concentration camps, murders by this federal government. Today, more than ever, we need to protect the right of public education for everyone
and urge the board to find a solution so these kids, 500 kids, can finish the school year. And then find a plan as we've done in the past by parents and community coming together to make sure that public education never again is privatized, never again is privately managed by publicly funded, and that we fight together like never before. So local school councils are empowered. So people through our communities are empowered to participate, to be the change that they wanna see in our communities. We must fully fund our schools so that we put in action what we preach.
Public education is the great equalizer. I am grateful for the service of this board, and I encourage every parent, everybody who's invested in public education to participate in this elected school board because we already see people like Michael Sachs, a funder of APAC, who want to buy our public education for profit so he can control those pension funds and continue to profit from the suffering and the public schools that need to be funded today to protect our kids. We need beyond the social media post. We need action.
We need a millionaire tax. We need to fully fund our schools and work with other local school councils today to bring those communities together, defend democracy, and protect and invest in public school for every child. Thank you so much. Thank you for your comments. And the next elected official is Alderman Felix Cardona junior from the 31st Ward who is here in person. Thank you. Good afternoon, president Hardin, CEO King, and the board members. So Today, I'm not here to talk about spreadsheets. I'm not here to talk about the policy, language.
I'm here to talk about our students. Over 500 young people walk through Espirito's doors every single day. There are not numbers in the budget. There are seniors three months away for graduation. There are juniors enrolled in dual credit college courses. There are freshmen who are finally found a school where they feel safe. Right now, those students are being asked to carry uncertainty that no young person should have to carry in the middle of the school year. Our seniors are preparing for prom, graduation, and for college decision day.
Many of them are being first generation college students. Many have already earned dual enrollment college credits to put them ahead in their academic journey. Some have secured scholarships, life changing, life changing scholarships that depend on academic academic continuity transcripts to stable enrollment enrollment. If Azpida Early College is forced to close before the end of the academic year, we are jeopardizing college credits due to the fact that the agreement of Azpida cities
Chicago City Colleges would cease to exist. It is not as simple as transferring to a student of a CPS school enrolling programs with teachers certified to teach the course. We risk complicating scholarship awards. We risk interrupting college admissions process that that the students have worked for four years to earn. This is not a theory theoretical. This is real. Students are currently enrolled in advanced placement courses with exam scheduled in May.
There are competing career pathway certifications. They are participating in structured car college readiness programs. These are not programs that transfer seamlessly mid mid semester. These are ecosystems built around relationships, pacing, and trust. And then there is safety. Some of our students come to our speed up because they did they did not feel safe in the previous schools. Some transferred from exposure to violence. Families made international, intentional decisions to enroll their children in an environment that they believe
was structured, supportive, and secured. To suggest that students can simply be re redistributed within the consequences ignores, The reality is why many families choose in the first place. We must also acknowledge who our students are. Approximately ninety five percent of students population is Latino from working families. Approximately 65% approximately 65% are English learners. Many come from immigrant households that are already navigating the fear uncertainty of today of
the national climate. I have heard directly from my from the parents who are worried that not just about academics, but about stability, trauma, and what and what happens when you remove a young person from one cons consistent environment they trust. When a student says, I'm afraid to go I'm afraid that I'm gonna lose my college credits, that is not politics. That is fear. When parents say they're already they're already facing trauma and they fear about deportation, losing
the safety of the school would make it worse. This is not rhetoric. This is reality. The the excuse me. The the distribution of the of the school is not closing a building. It is a relationship that is served. It is counseling support interrupted. It is trusted teachers suddenly gone. It's a social emotional system destabilizing the final stretch of the academic year. You have thirty seconds remaining. And we must ask, why would we introduce instability with only three months of remaining
students on track? Instructing are continuing. Graduation requirements are being met. There is a clear path to finish this year strongly. We are asking for a simple student centered outcome. Allow these young students to complete the school year in an environment that they're already succeeding. Let them graduate with dignity. Let them compete in AP exams. Let them finish their dual credit coursework. Let them walk across the stage with their colors and with pride. And I in this, I ask you guys to, the board to consider extending, the
continuing education for our speed up for the next month and a half till they finish. Thank you. Thank Thank you, president Harden. I really wanted to provide some more context to the Unite Here negotiations. We had some comments earlier, some remarks, and and I wanna make sure that, we
are all on the same page with the path forward. And let me give some background. So so since June 2025, we've engaged in good faith bargaining with Unite Here. It's a union that represents over 1,600 of food service workers at CPS, and our focus throughout the negotiation was really to deliver a really historic increase in wages, that far exceeds the contracts, preserving the the workers' flexibility and the benefits. And so even as we are in in this face of a a north of
a half $1,000,000,000 budget, we're committed, to delivering a fair deal to our food service workers. And I just wanna point out three big highlights, just to keep everybody grounded here. We propose to unite here a wage increase that's north of of 10% that reaches all the way up to nearly 40 plus percent over the four years. In addition to that, 98% of the food service workers will get raises between, 830%
just in year one. So what does that mean? So that means no worker will make less than $20 an hour by this August. The next thing we propose is we eliminated the wage tiers. Specifically, we have cooks and associate managers, whose rates are based on school meal counts. And in this case, we propose to move to a single rate of pay, for each role, and and that just turns into just more predictable, consistent earnings with those
higher wages that I I I just mentioned earlier. And last but not least, it's maintaining the the health coverage and the scheduling flexibility. So for many of our food service workers, CPS isn't their full time job. It but it's a way to earn extra income, and and it's also a way to secure vital benefits, not only for them, but also for their families. And so we have flexible working hours for those parents, who who have children within our schools, and they could align their schedule, you know, with with the school hours,
which is really important. That's an arrangement that really works well for us because it it expands our pool of workers, to ensure that that we can still serve high quality, food services for our students. And I'll close with this. The contract won't increase the employee contribution for health plans, and it it will ensure that part time workers continue to have full health care benefits. And that's a win win for all of us to to be able to have, you know, both those benefits, flexible schedule, again, increased wages, and at the same time,
eliminating those wage tiers. So I just wanna provide that con provide that context. I know we can have further dialogue, in further sessions. So thank you, board president. Thank you, chief Mayfield. This is obviously very important to us. Mhmm. So we'll just ask that you continue to provide updates to the board on the progress of those, negotiations. Second, I want to invite I and I, up to make, comments. I mean, they've been, obviously, a number of comments that have come up relative to
Espira, and so we wanted to provide an opportunity for the district to respond. Thank you, mister president. Good afternoon, board members. Good afternoon, CPS leadership. My name is Sabrina Evans, and I am the executive director of the Office of Innovation Incubation. I want to start today by addressing the students and families of ASPIDA. This is not the outcome that anyone hoped for. We understand the stress and difficulty of today's news. We understand the uncertainty and disruption that comes with changing schools in the middle of
the current school year. CPS is dedicated to supporting you throughout the transition process and the rest of the school year. We will work with each and every one of you to find a school that meets your unique needs to finish the current school year in the high quality learning environment that every student deserves. We will share more about our transition plan in a moment. The road has been long and complicated, but the reason we are here is simple.
Every charter, when they enter into an agreement with the district, with the board to open a school, they understand the policies, they understand the guardrails, they understand the law, and they understand their agreements. CPS provides funding, funding, and support, and charter operators deliver educational services to students. State law dictates the maximum amount of funding we can supply to charter schools. If a charter school is unable to provide educational services to students within the funding
level that is state that is set out by the state law, CPS is committed to acting in the best interest of students and providing them the opportunity to transition to an education environment that can provide those services. The district has already advanced $2,550,000 to support payroll and continuity of student services at a speed of early college as well as business and finance. But the district does not have the authority to provide funding beyond the state mandated
tuition limit, including the per capita tuition charge of a 103%. The stress this threshold is outlined in Illinois charter law. ASPEDA will continue to receive district funding through April 10, at which point CPS has made and provided the full a 103 per PCTC that's permissible under charter law for this fiscal year of 2026. Based on documentation provided by ASPITA in January, the funding provided through April 10 will
not be sufficient to meet payroll needs through the end of the school year. In the light of these funding constraints and the urgent threat to the continuity this school year, the district required a speeder. To provide a clear and comprehensive plan that outlines how a speeder will fund operations for the remaining of this school year, a speeder response to the district has been unsatisfactory. The recent submission did not include verifiable, secure third party funding sufficient to eliminate the
projected deficit, nor did it include a clear and comprehensive operational plan demonstrating how a speeder will remain financially stable through the end of the year. General assurances, anticipated funding, or contingent commitments. This does not demonstrate financial solvency under Illinois charter law or a speed as charter agreement. In 2025, in May 2025, the board approved a two year renewal for a speed
of network. The primary driver for the short renewal was financial performance as the network enter financial remediation following its f y twenty four financial scorecard outcomes. Based on the provisions outlined in Illinois charter law, charters are providing with a two year remediation period before their authorizer can revoke or not renew their charter. If the charter fails to meet academic organization organizational or financial standards.
This gives an underperforming charter school a fair structured opportunity to address its deficiencies and receive support from the district while ensuring accountability to students, parents, and the community. Since July 2025, a speeder has been a financial remediation, a status requiring monthly documentation to I and I for enhanced oversight. Despite this requirement, the school has failed to provide any necessary fall filings for eight consecutive months.
All submissions remain past due. In addition, all charter schools are required to submit an independent audit on November 1 of every year. This audit provides the data that CPS relies on to generate financial performance metrics and truly to understand an operator's financial position. A speeder has yet to submit this document. The analysis of the audit is important in a speeder case as a speed of board has communicated that their financial needs include an in, end of year twenty five
twenty twenty five deficit. We cannot verify this need without proper documentation. In November, I and I requested additional documentation from ASPEDA to allow our team to conduct further oversight into their financial activities. A monthly general ledger export and a biweekly submission of payroll records, ASPEDA has also failed to submit these documents. Absent doc documentation and secure funding sufficient to sustain operations through the end of the
2526 school year, ASPITA has not demonstrated the financial stability required to continue providing legally mandated educational services. Despite this, a speed of board has indicated that it has not initiated nor does it intend to initiate a self closure process. Regardless, CPS is committed to acting in the best interest of students. If a SPEDA is unable to provide the services that students need, CPS will initiate
an optional process for students to transition to other schools that can provide educational services for the remaining of this school year. This action is being taken to safeguard students' educational stability and promote compliance within applicable state and federal laws. To be clear, CPS is not revoking a speed of charter at this time, but is moving forward with a student's transition process as oversight due to the dire situation created by a speed of failure to demonstrate financial stability, which places the education of
ASPITA students at risk. As we work to provide transition options to students, we expect full cooperation with ASPITA and its management with our CPS transition teams. This includes, but not limited to, timely and accurate account of all student records, including IEPs and five zero four plans, access to their school facilities, a speed of staff information, performance of student data, request as we request.
These data requests are necessary for student transition placement and support, and we want to have clear and coordinated communication to families. All updates will be communicated through a transparent community center process to ensure families remain informed and engage every step of the way. In a moment, I will introduce my colleague, chief portfolio officer Conrad Timbers Arsar, who will provide an overview of our transition plan, which which help which will help us
identify school placements that meets each child's unique need and ensures continuity of learning this year. Again, we know that this is not the outcome that students and families hope for. We are particularly sensitive to seniors who will have to spend the remaining months of their final years in a new environment prior to graduation. But if a speeder is unable to provide the services the students need and has not been able to secure additional funding to make it through the end of the
school year, CPS must act for students' educational needs. Thank you, mister president, and I will turn it over to my colleague, chief Timbers Arsar, and I believe my statement will be translated. Good afternoon. Thank you, executive director Evans. CPS understands the difficult position of a sphere of families and staff, and we are committed to leading a supportive enrollment experience that prioritizes student well-being and community integration. Our goal is to ensure that impacted families have the opportunity to to transition into
inclusive environments where students can thrive and establish a lasting sense of belonging. Internal CPS leadership is moving ahead with our transition plan, and we will be engaged in a spirit leadership to support a spirit of students as they transition to a new school. Any student who decides to depart a spirit of business and finance in early college will have a guaranteed seat at a group of nearby district managed high schools where they will be transitioned and welcomed without disruption to their education. At these schools, CPS will ensure students have access to a designated transition coordinator for
regular check ins and to support wraparound services tailored to students' needs, including mentoring, tutoring, mental health services, and more. They will also be prepared to provide additional items like technology, uniforms, and school gear that students may need to be successful in the school. Students will receive CTS bus cards to get safely to and from school. CPS is working with our office of school safety and security to establish supports for students in collaboration with principals. Student fees will be waived for families. CPS will provide all graduating seniors with a formal letter to help college admissions.
Offices understand the recent events. CPS is reviewing and assessing graduation requirements for juniors and seniors. The district is committed to providing support to receiving schools centrally by assisting the monitoring and tracking student enrollment and attendance, connecting families with points of contact within the district, connecting students for wraparound services, ensuring timely delivery of student records, and assisting with continuation of services for all students with disabilities and students who are English learners and students
in temporary living situations. CPES is also identifying supplemental academic and emotional supports to mitigate the impact of the transition and ensure that student success remains our priority. Additionally, several departments within CPS will hold specific workshops and meetings to ensure school level staff at these schools have the tools they need to effectively support students after this unfortunate disruption to their education. CPS will work with principals beginning next week to better understand the specific needs.
We expect to host a town hall for families where they can learn more about the transition process next week, the week of March 2. I wanna close by echoing what executive directors Evan said. This is not the outcome that students and families have hoped for. But I want families to know that we have a plan, and we will be working with each and every one of you to make sure that you are supported, that you find a new educational home that will meet your needs. Also wanna point out that last year, we had to transition 663 students when a
Sarah Paz, a Sarah Cruz, Plato Learning Academy, and a Spirit Hagen, closed. CPS successfully transitioned 98% of those students. Thank you, mister president. Thank you. I will President Hardin, I'm sorry. The statements will be both translated as condensed Spanish statements. If anyone wishes to receive the fully translated statements, please contact the board office for assistance. Good afternoon again. I will be starting with the INI comment statement.
I will now move on to the condensed version of this of the chief portfolio officer statement. This concludes the abridged statement. Thank you. We'll open the floor for board member comments. I'll ask though if you have any questions that you forward those questions to the board office for response so we can get to the business portion of our meeting. With that, I'll start with, member Pope. Yeah. I'm sorry. I want to address the situation. This is a terrible experience for our students. It is unfair to the children. It is unfair to their families.
They put faith in this charter operator, and this charter operator has denigrated their faith and failed to perform adequately and failed to perform responsibly. As a board of education, we are bound by fiscal constraints. We are bound by budgets, and we are bound by our fiduciary responsibilities. To me, it's heartbreaking that this operator has put these students in this situation, and I wanna make it clear that it is not CPS. It is not the board of education. It is not any of us who are doing this to the students of Espira
and their families. This is something that is beyond our control, unfortunately. I appreciate the plans laid out by, Evans and, Conrad to detail what they're going to be doing for the families. I do know that especially for the seniors, though, a lot of them wanna be able to stay together with their friends, and I hope that the board urgings will
help you all to find as many opportunities for them in neighborhood high schools so that a group of them can stay together and be together and have the normal senior celebrations that they want to have and they need and deserve. I'm glad to hear too that you are offering extra mental health services for these students because this is a trauma for them. And these are kids that were already traumatized during the COVID era, and I think it's it's the least we can do in this situation.
But I do hope that this serves as a warning, as a red flag to other charter operators that you have to behave responsibly. You have to have your finances in order. You have to be transparent. You have to turn in your audits. We cannot do this to our children. It is just not okay. Thank you, and I'll stop there. Member Rivas. Thank you, president Hardin. I wanna take a moment to acknowledge the outpouring of support and activism related to Chey Arts, schools in my district that serve students from across the city of Chicago.
In November 2025, the board approved and committed to establishing Chey Arts as a district managed school designating it as a fine and performing arts high school. Transitioning the conservatory to the greatest extent practicable and directing the district to explore the financial strategies and partnerships to sustain the conservatory. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to attend the Shire Arts community meeting to hear from I and I about the district's plan to transition the school to district management, To answer some of the dozens of emails I've received since Tuesday evening, I
want to be clear that Tuesday's meeting was for community members, not for board members to give feedback. I and many of the other board members, here who attended the meeting were there to learn about the transition to district management. The plan was not shared with the board prior to that meeting. In my fourteen months on the board, I have been able to visit Shire Arts a few times, including being able to attend the principal panel where I was able to see Doctor. Fies in action, meet directly with parents and stakeholders with aldeperson Fuentes, and have received
hundreds of emails and postcards from students, parents, and community members. Since the Shire Arts Foundation decision to not renew their contract with the district, As member Pope has mentioned, this was a decision by the Chi Arts Board, a separate board from us to not renew their contract with the district. I have lobbied for the conservation of the conservatory to continue the valuable pre professional program as a gem of District 3 B, but also nationally.
I will continue to work with the district to ensure that students, family, and community voice are part of that transition. I look forward to seeing many of you on March 11 at 06:30PM at the next community incubation meeting at Shy Arts. Thank you, mister president. Member Roosevelt. Yeah. I too just wanna speak to the students of all of these schools, Espira, Acero, Chayards, Academy of Global Citizenship. I see you. I hear you are not just a line on a spreadsheet to me. I also I want to apologize on behalf on behalf of all of the adults
that only focused on adult decisions in Chicago public schools who have mismanaged your education personally. And from all of us, I'm sorry. You're the reason I ran for this office. You're the reason that I volunteer my time in this seat, and I know that you're resilient and you will go forward, and I will advocate on your behalf. You are my why. Doctor King said something in her statement and her words that I think speaks to this. And this actually is becoming very much doctor King's leadership style and why we need
her to stay with it at CPS. Fragmentation weakens us, alignment strengthens us. That's doctor King's leadership style. That's what's happened between the charter group and Chicago Public Schools. We must continue to collaborate. We must work together, not against each other, but align together on behalf of the students in Chicago Public Schools. I was disappointed this week when I was removed from the charter school working committee because I think it couldn't be more important.
We see it with the and the and the renewals upon us. We must have a working committee. I hope that we will continue to hear from whomever it was that was put in in my place, and we will continue to build a collaborative relationship. If we don't, this will continue to happen. Doctor. Thank you, president Harden. I will read a statement regarding Espira from board member Norma c Rio Sierra, who is not present today. Espira is in her subdistrict. Espira, after months of asking for basic financial transparency, we have reached a point where
we can no longer wait. Espira's leadership has mismanaged its finances, denied the depth of the problem, and failed to provide the clarity families and staff deserve. Now, ASPERA has informed the district that it is insolvent and has no legal path to finish the school year. They have told us they're weeks away from running out of money and being unable to pay teachers. ASPERA's financial decisions and admission of insolvency have created a crisis that is harming CPS students and staff, and that compels us to act.
Our responsibility is to students and families first. We must provide ASPERA families with a compassionate, clear transition plan before the fourth quarter begins so there is no disruption to learning, no chaos around payroll, and no uncertainty about where the doors will remain open. As PIRAS students, their families and staff deserve stability. They deserve respect and dignity. We can no longer prioritize protecting a charter network over protecting children. As much as it pains me to see families in my district facing this uncertainty,
I have not stopped advocating for you. It is imperative that we begin communicating a thoughtful transition plan now because waiting any longer will only increase stress and harm. We're urging the district to move in ways that prioritize all families and staff. That means transitioning students in cohorts alongside their CCA's and TAs wherever possible to preserve relationships and continuity. That means prioritizing our seniors so their final months are filled with joy, celebration, and excitement about the future they have worked so hard to build.
And that means ensuring every student receive all of their hard earned credits and is fully prepared to finish the year strong despite this difficult transition. Our focus is not on institutions. It is on our children. I look forward to seeing every one of our Esperantes graduate. I will continue to advocate for each and every one of you every step of the way. I would like to also translate this into Spanish. Thank you, board president. Many thanks to all the families from the various schools that came today, and especially thank you to the students from Espira who spoke up about the things that they
want to see, in the event that they have to go through this this, transition that no one wants to have happen. Thank you also so much to I and I for all the work you have done in these difficult circumstances to try to put something together. I just wanna, emphasize the importance of really listening to the things that the student said today and, doing all the work we can to address those specifics. So, you know, they, of course, talked about getting their credits, and I'm sure you're
working on that, including AP credits. But they mentioned other things. Right? They mentioned being able to play on a sports team that they were counting on, for example. And I wanna ensure that we're really thinking of ways to make sure that those level of things happen. And most particularly for the students who are gonna graduate, I think we should really find ways to preserve those activities that they had planned on to do them with their their fellow students regardless of what school they go to.
How can they go on that six flags trip that they were expecting? How can they go together to lunch and how can they have their graduation with their colors? I think that should be possible. I think we need to think outside the box and make sure that those things happen. Thank you for that, members of core. We'll now move to short recess. Board member Brown, do you have motion m o one? I will momentarily. Eight six. Eight six. Okay. Yes, sir. I move that I move that the board take a thirty minute recess. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. I'll proceed with a roll call.
Member Lozano? Yes. Member Smith? Aye. Member Lopez? Aye. Member Velez? Aye. Member Boyle? Aye. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Yes. Member Bannon? Aye. Vice president Bautista? Yes. Member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodakura? Yes. Member Blaise? Aye. Member Zachary? Yes. Member Deberry? 18 ayes. 19. Sorry. 19 ayes, zero nays.
This motion is adopted. This meeting will now go into a thirty minute recess. Hello. This is Mercedes. I am part of the events team at ATLAS Language Services. I found your contact information on the ATA web. I'm reaching out because we are looking for interpreters for a potential The meeting of the Board of Education is reconvened. We'll now proceed with the business portion of the meeting. We'll start with chief Hansen. Before we proceed, I would like to note for the record that the vote on m o one motion to recess was 18 ayes, zero nays.
Thank you. Ready? Yeah. Oh, good afternoon, board members. Also, I wanna, you know, take a moment to acknowledge the passing of, reverend Jesse Jackson. You know, just a a pinnacle of the nation, and definitely a a true representative of of equity and represent all of Chicago. No easy way to transition from that, but but today, we are presenting the f y twenty seven capital planning process, and I'd really like to begin with the current state of our buildings. This matters because capital planning is is about how we decide what gets fixed first
when the needs across our schools exceed available funding in any given year. And so I'll provide broader context, and then our chief facilities officer, will then walk us through the condition data of our portfolio of the buildings, our prioritization approach, and the timeline for bringing the proposed plan back to the board. Next slide. So aging school facilities and deferred maintenance are national challenges, especially in large urban school districts like ourselves. And buildings require steady investment just to be usable and safe.
As you know, roofs wear out, our heating systems age, and electrical systems become outdated, and it becomes a structural condition that requires deliberate trade offs. And so when investment doesn't keep up with the pace, then deferred maintenance then becomes an accumulation, and that risk is tied to that accumulation. And so when we say structural, we mean the condition is rooted in the size of the building, the age of the building, and the funding history of the entire portfolio. It's just something that can't be solved in one budget cycle.
Next slide. So we continue to reduce our portfolio where possible. And so we've we've had some some good examples of that. And so for years, we've had dozens of closed school buildings that have remained vacant, some since 2013. But recently, we put out to bid about of 20 of those sites. They were placed on the market. We received 30 bids, and, the 30 bids came across 12 of the properties. And so you've yourselves, you've already approved five of those sales, by the board.
And then at the same time, we've got five pins, so five more are coming your way. There are a couple withdrawals, but that's success. That that means we are moving the needle on some of the vacant properties. Well, thank you for that. So this progress reduces the cost of of maintaining empty buildings and opens up opportunities for community development. But at the same time, our active building portfolio still continues to grow in complexity. So following the board action to support students that were affected by the Acero charter schools, we're adding five Acero facilities and potentially one EPIC facility.
These additions increase not only the square footage, which is over 200,000, that must be maintained, that must be managed by our staff. They also add approximately a 110,000,000 in deferred maintenance, and that's not a static condition. Right? It it it is a system that is under pressure, And every capital decision carries greater consequence across the entire portfolio. Next slide. So capital plan is not a a a technical exercise alone.
It is really a series of value driven choices shaped by board policy and funding decisions. And many of our needs, across our schools are real, and they are urgent. So the constraint is not awareness because we're fully aware of what we need. The constraint is available capital capacity. And as a result, $3 committed in one place means another need must wait. Next slide. So families often the playgrounds and the turf fields.
I'm sure you hear about it just about every single school visit that you have, And those investments matter because they do create a joyful student experience, and that fabric of what our five year plan is all about. But at the same time, the same capital dollars may be required to replace a failing roof. It may be required to stabilize a heating system. I'll tell you all that to say, both matter, but only one prevents a building from becoming unusable.
And that is the nature of the capital trade offs under constraint. With limited capital, life safety and core systems must be addressed first. Sequencing does not mean it's dismissed. It just means that stabilizing safety and reliability before the enhancements. So in closing, what you see today is you see some visuals that reflect both the progress and the remaining need. And we've got a ton of wins out there that chief Hansen will talk about because individual buildings and individual stories matter.
But our responsibility is to manage risk across the entire system in a disciplined and transparent way. With that, I'll now turn it over to our chief facilities officer, Ivan Hanson. Thank you. Thanks, chief. I was waiting for the applause, but thank you. Thank you. Appreciate that. Good afternoon, board members. Ivan Hansen, chief facilities officer. I'm gonna start with my first slide. Next slide, please. As you guys know, I love to start with this just to ground everybody is our facility portfolio is large.
Right? Our average age of our building is 86 years old. Our oldest is a 152 years old, and we maintain over 62,000,000 square feet. Just to put that in perspective, that's the equivalent of 14 Sears Towers. And many years of of budgetary constraints have led to a large backlog of deferred needs as the chief talked about. The cost to repair the buildings is far exceeded what CPS has historically been able to afford. And our annual run-in place, our run-in place that we need to avoid further deterioration is $400,000,000.
Next slide. We finalized the most recent round of facility condition assessments in all CPS owned and operated facilities last spring. This data also informed by technical reports and feedback from on-site personnel. This is now our third round of assessments since starting them back up in 2019. A few points to highlight on these is these are a visual inspections of the building systems. They are not destructive. The sample report, as you see here, includes a rank and quantity for each assessed items at all CPS owned and operated facilities, and the and the ranking system is
from one to seven. A separate assessment landing page can be found at cps.edu, at the address shown here on on the slide. There's also a search function now where you can search by every school and every need in those buildings, and it goes by any of the owned or leased, facilities now. And the prioritization of critical capital needs is a process as our systems are dynamically dynamic and consistently changing. And the change can be driven by a number of factors. Right? It could be by weather, accelerated deterioration, recent investments, or actually just more deferred maintenance.
But based upon our updated assessments, our new facility number now has grown. Next slide. Since, our EFMP, we've created this graph to break down our buckets. And as you can see, the the the need has grown now over $16,000,000,000 in need. The way we've broken this down is into these four categories so we can be consistent across the district. And we have the immediate critical needs, right, or items that need to be fixed right away. Air conditioning, heaters, windows, roofs. But you can see that's a big job. Right? It's $3,700,000,000 with a b.
We also have the long term, critical needs. They're same items as above. We just have a little more time to get to them. And that is now then we also have the ADA accessibility bucket, which would make sure everyone can get around the campuses more easily. It's adding things like adding ramps and elevators so we can access all the amenities that we offer on the campuses. And we also have the building upgrades, which are improvements to the schools just to make them a better place to learn. And they could be simply paint, better lighting, changing lighting, just to make places brighter. The one thing I wanna note though is these numbers do not include any programmatic
investment. This is just the cost to do the work. I'm gonna dive into a little bit later about that in the end of the slide. Next one. Just a quick summary of the capital budgets over the last few fiscal years, and you can see the ebbs and flows, which makes making a long range capital plan extremely difficult. You can see in f y twenty four, we had a major dip. And as I talked about earlier, we have that $400,000,000 run-in place and just in critical need that we obviously aren't continuing to cover. I just wanna note though on the on the capital projects, we are incorporating sustainability and not only our design, but in our end results with our mechanical systems, roofing
items, and anything we do on that side of things. We're also doing energy efficiency equipment to reduce the power consumption. We're doing the high r value roofing, improving the insulation on the roofs, reduce heating and cooling costs across the district. And as you guys know, we're working closely with you to implement the green resolution we adopted last fall to roll that out, this summer with some projects. While our need is great, we did wanna acknowledge some work that has been happening as a result of the recent budgets over the next few slides, and it is some positive, work that were happening. Next slide. This is the first major category the facility needs is includes things like roofs and
windows that we discussed earlier and heating and cooling systems. But here you can see some before and after photos, the new roofs, the the boiler systems that come in there. And not only are we making things more efficient, as you see, things are taking up less space so we can better utilize, areas in the building. Right? And, again, this is making things much more energy efficient. Next slide. This is the interior improvements. And, as you know, through our capital planning process, we do community engagement. And through that, we do a survey. Back in, f y twenty one, the survey came back with every single survey identified
out of their categories restrooms, which we'd have never thought. Right? We thought playgrounds, turf fields, but everybody identified restrooms as a as a topic they wanted to review about getting improvements. So we added a bucket to do the the restroom renovation. So across the district, we're going through and renovating, one boys, one girls, one staff, and one single user gender neutral restroom in the schools across the district. So this is just some examples of what we're doing here where you can see some interior improvements that really just changes the the look of the spaces plus the restrooms with how they how they change really the look of of the building and
how students feel at the school. Next slide. We also have the programmatic investments that are to modernize classrooms and provide that twenty first century learning environment. And the project in this in this categories include, like, renovated classrooms or new classrooms, to support various district led initiatives like the pre k expansion, arts, steam, and stem, and IB. We also have our student recreation athletic resources part of this category that includes a renovation of the athletic fields and the pools. Next slide. Our site improvement amenities are to provide CPS students with resources that support physical health
and wellness, and this can have a significant impact on the student's ability achieve to achieve their academic success. Here's some examples of those improvements like playground replacements. They're not only to replace equipment, but also provide a more accessible surface to all the students of the of the school. We also work with our partners on the space to grow program where the outdoor space transforms and also includes stormwater retention, and that benefits not only the school but the community around it. And we work with our partners at DWM and MWRD. Next slide. As we talked about it, we've been able to do a lot of great work.
But as you can see, there's still a lot of work that needs to happen out there. But not having a robust and and consistent capital plan, we still have roofs that need to be replaced. Oil and heating and systems that need to be replaced. Leaking roofs, old fire systems that need to be re replaced. Next slide. I just wanna come back to our donut here, which the the increase is from was from 14,000,000,000 to now over 16,000,000,000 in immediate, with immediate critical need of just under 4,000,000,000. And how so how are we gonna solve for that problem? The next slide. With all the funding challenges we have prior that we have prioritized key items, like
the cons the facility condition assess to provide information about critical systems that we work very closely with our office of equity to ensure they're investing funds in areas that were furthest from opportunity. Here's a quick view of how investments have occurred across the entire district since night since 2021. This includes over 2,000 projects with over 50% MMWB participation in construction, design, and contractor participation. Since 2019, we've touched every single school in the district with once with some sort of capital project. Here is overlaid on the hardship index where the the darker the purple is the
greater the hardship, and you will see that priority as equity has led to a great deal of investment in locations that were that were furthest from investment. Next slide. With the funding challenges, we continue to target outside funding where feasible. We target local funding, whether it's TIF, MENU, or OSSA funding, and state grants such as DCO and federal, tax incentives. We We target partnerships as I talked about earlier with the with MWRD, and DWM, and we've leveraged over $300,000,000 in outside funding just over the last five years. Next slide. Here's a quick update of the f y twenty six capital projects where we took
to you and got approval last August. We're starting with bidding and construction to commence a lot of this construction over this summer. We're moving into what our new the f y twenty seven capital budget, and we're kicking off that process now. And the goal is getting your approval in June. This will allow us to be able to get to the market starting in November, December 2026 to get better planning work going faster. Next slide. In addition to what you saw at the board meeting last month, our apprenticeship with three ninety nine, we've also wanna highlight the, upcoming work that we're doing with our
capital, construction internship. In 2026, we we started, the capital internship back working with the with the CTE, partners, and and we've got several general contractors that worked, and we had over 75 internships with CPS students. That was giving them exposing them career pathways and project management, trades, design, while also supporting our active summer projects. We're we're looking to continue this this coming summer, and we've already been at schools talking to students and getting their their applications, submitted with their with their resumes. We're we're focusing now this year also on construction that have full range of architecture,
construction work, so they can get more involved than actually the field work also. Again, we need a robust capital plan and consistent funding to support and enhance the experience of our students and staff within our buildings. Next slide. Thank you for taking the time today, and I'm here to answer any questions you have. Herbert Smith. Yes. Uh-huh. Thank you all for that, presentation. You know, I visited about 70 schools in in my district, and one of the top two complaint well, the top two complaints that I get from students, one is
lunch and the other is bathrooms. And we talked about lunch earlier. And and as we talk about the life saving, things that buildings need like roofs and electricity, for student experience, bathrooms mean so much when it's not like a prison. And one of the best bathrooms that I was able to, go in and look at was something that you recently redid. And and I looked on the picture, it looked just like Marsh. And and what you all have done in Marsh with those bathrooms has been amazing
work. And and still there are other schools that are so good at curriculum and need that Marsh kinda touch. And, you know, whatever I can do, you know, as a board member to assist you in making sure that there's equity in bathrooms around, the whole District 299, please let me know. But but excellent job. And I see the interior work that you're doing in the bathrooms and how it's affecting how students feel about their school experience. Thank you. Thank you.
Member Rivas. Thank you, mister president. So, I I just wanna reiterate how, important the work is that you do and, how much we appreciate it. We know that it's a really large cost benefit analysis. As I'm out visiting schools, you know, principals and administrators take the time to let me know about the things that, they wish could get fixed, and or they let me know that, you know, this state legislator or this congressperson allocated, you know, x number, hundreds of dollars, hundreds of thousands of dollars for projects at their schools.
And, I I try to explain as best as I can that it's a really big project, that it's bringing dollars in from the state, from the federal, from all these different sources, to be able to, to get projects done at our schools and and and that you really are working on long term thinking about these things. So we may have gotten a grant in 2022, and it doesn't work until we get everything together over the next three, four, five years. And so, I appreciate when a principal can say, hey. We just got 250,000. Can you find me a million for, that playground renovation?
And that's like, oh, that's a that's a lot harder for us to to to, to handle. And so I just wanna be able to reiterate for the public that doubt you know, we don't have the same, ability as other school boards do in the state of Illinois. Other school boards are able to go to their voters and say, voters, will you help us with, you know, gather these millions of dollars? Will you raise your taxes, so that we can, you know, build a school, renovate a school, all of those things. We don't have that home rule, ability, and thus, we can't go to voters and
say, give us dollars just for capital improvements, meaning that every dollar that we spend on capital, which is desperately needed, are dollars that we're not spending in the classroom. And so it's a really large cost cost benefit analysis, and I try to explain that as best I can. When I'm meeting with community who really want things for their school communities or they say to us, you know, you need to buy this building, I said, I plainly say, sure. We can definitely buy this building. Let me know which schools are not gonna get window replacements, are not gonna get,
a roof replaced. And so, as I'm going around the district, it's really around my subdistrict, it's really nice to hear from principals and admin how appreciative they are of the work that they're doing with the facilities team, with capital team to be able to think long term about projects and how we can work together to ensure that we're working at every level of government to get more dollars to help us out to ensure that we have these world class buildings for our students. Go to Cora. Thank you. I wanna echo with what both board members have said about how we have a limited pool of resources.
And, you know, that's why when we do have the few opportunities that we do have to raise revenue for our schools, those are options that we have to take in addition to advocating for more revenue at the state level. And I wanna lift up what board member Smith said about bathrooms because it it sounds funny, but, I mean, it's really not funny the discomfort and the experience that students face all day. Like, I have had reports of, kids getting UTIs because they really they don't wanna go to the bathroom that badly. And that's not a good learning environment for our kids. And, again, it's, like, limited resources.
So, I want to note that this comes from, like, a place of privilege for schools in my district that have friends of that raise money to, do things like build new playgrounds, or they wanna do projects in the schools. And I'd like to understand what that process looks like because there is a school in my, district that has raised money for a playground. They have a they have a playground, but there's another Friends of where they're trying to, purchase, like or pay for bathroom repairs and renovations, and it seems like that's
a more challenging process. I don't know if it's because it's within the school or what, but, like, what is the process for communities that are fortunate enough to have funds that they raise or maybe there's philanthropic partners that want to fund something? What are the channels that they have to go through so that they you know, it's bureaucratic process, but what what needs to happen so that we can leverage those resources? So it's a great question. The the to start with, the friends of can transfer money, right, to to us to use. But it's very specific on what it is, and it has to be through CPS
vendors. So sometimes where we get into the issue is, when they bring vendors out or neighborhoods or parents that have companies that aren't our vendors that come in and say, I can do this work, and the friends of wanna get paid or wanna pay them through that process. We can't do that. They have to be a CPS vendor to to do that. So that's kinda where the bumps in the road come a lot of times. But if there's specific examples, I'm happy to come meet with the school to kinda talk through that and figure out the best avenue to get that done. And, again, we've done in the past. It's been successful, but where we do get some hiccups is where they're trying to
have vendor people companies coming in that aren't our vendors to do a playground or do work inside the building that we can't do it that way. What if someone wanted to volunteer their own services and time? Is there a different process for that or no? They have to be an approved vendor to do any work? To do any of the construction work, they have to be approved vendor. Got it. Thank you. Member Lopez. Thank you, board president. Very similar when I go, whether it be at school visits or office hours and meeting with community. Of course, buildings come up, whether it be your renovation suit, the bathrooms to other
parts of the classroom, to thank you for the information. It's for for me, at least, it's helpful to point out to that and seeing, you know, it's given the average age of our buildings, what we are working with, the limited resources but that we are addressing. Right? Some of these, especially the also the ADA necessities within our buildings. One of the items that I know has come up with, within particular the Archer Heights community in Curie High School, their turf. Turf. Right? I know that the state, they have allocated money. The older woman also is, if I don't remember right off top of my head,
if she already allocated or plans to allocate money. But as, you know, those conversations, I know recently also representative Ortiz allocated money for to help fix the elevator, which the principal is very grateful for. Right? But it's how do we continue moving those conversations forward. What, at least for me, has helped is when I do some of my school visits is in partnership with other local elected officials. So we're both or if there's three of us, we're hearing the same information from the principal or, the students themselves. And so one of the questions that I have, and this is this might be
more for the IGA team. Given that right now we are in session right in Springfield, those conversations, if any particular projects have been already been pitched to the senators and representatives in particular schools, and how can I help as it pertains to this District 7 B, how can I help advance those conversations? Yeah. So I'll I'll we do work with with Jamelle and the IGA team a lot, because we're getting them the information to for the elected officials. So there is a list that he has. I'll I'll talk to him about, flagging that for for you guys. I will mention on on Curie is, yeah, we've we've been looking at that.
It's just a massive, massive field back there. Does need work, but it's there's really no, like, shortcut. Right? We kinda gotta go all in. So a couple million bucks is is not going as long as it as far as we'd like it to go as like a Woodford Elementary School. Right? So we are working on different plans and different options for there to to use the money that that we're getting, but it is just a a a big undertaking between a baseball, a softball, basketball, football, soccer all back there in one area. Oh, thank you. And I understand. And given that it's a massive project, if there's any numbers that I can receive
of what's the estimated overall cost, this helps me when I go into some of the community meetings. Also given that Cary High School, it is the largest serving Latino high school in the city. Right? We have a lot of active students there. And the other part right now, particularly the school community, they've been hit hard because of losing half 1,000,000 for after school programming because of the federal government. So right now, you know, we're like, how do we continue them to be engaged, feel like they're worthy of being invested in? Thank you. We can get you the the one pager with the cost. Timber Gutierrez.
Thank you, board president. You know, one of the things I I I I mentioned a lot is what is it that we're doing, as part of our own advocacy down in Springfield adding a component around capital, especially given that every school district we're not the only school district across the state of Illinois that has these type of major issues and figuring out a mechanism for k through 12. You notice I didn't include universities, right, because they all have big endowments and pieces.
But figuring out with the legislature a mechanism by which schools public schools across the state have access to capital in a much more readily financed way so that, a, we could have decisions, right, where, you know, wouldn't you like to spend a billion dollars on Capital One Year. Right? And and if there's additional dollars that may be available to us, then that, I
think, is something that we should look at. And we should always be look at taking advantage of not only TIF dollars, legislative dollars, automatic menu dollars, but we also have to be good stewards in that when legislators do bring dollars to us. Right? We have to kinda figure those things out because in some cases and instances, and I could talk for Hubbard, right, those dollars end up going back. So, just something I I I I think that we as a board, as we
are looking at having conversations, that there could be a way that you bring both sides in our state assembly. Everyone likes capital projects. Right? Whether you are an independent, the republican, a democrat, everyone likes the, a ribbon cutting. And so I think we we can find much more creative ways for us to really look at statewide funding for that particular look. Thank you. Member Brown. Thank you, mister president. Thank you for your presentation, sir.
This is kind of this might be off a little bit. This is for, doctor King and for you. You know, I think we're in an interesting moment where violence is down in the city of Chicago to levels to the year before I was born. Right? And and I think one of the things that's happened over the last twenty years is the loss of trade opportunities in schools on the South And West Side. Is there a way does this work? Because I I noticed where you you laid out, you had the 75 interns.
Is there a way are we thinking about ways to start expanding those opportunities, in schools on the South And West Side so that young people have access to to to opportunity, for those young people that may not see college as a pathway. I have a young man who's a relative of mine, who, went to Dunbar, and he is a licensed, plumber. He's in the plumbers union. And and he's doing very well for himself, but a lot of young people don't have access to that.
And I think there's an opportunity with a lot of schools that would be deemed underutilized. I mean, when when some people see crisis, I think some of us just start seeing opportunity. So I know it's a little off the presentation, but you inspired me when you showed me the the different volunteers. I don't know if are there any plans to have those conversations? This is, connected to the work that Megan Hogarth does, and I know that the skills trades fair is opening, next month. And I would, advise invite all board members to attend. It is, what you do what do you do with the problem?
Well, Megan Hogarth and myself at the time, I was at the Mayor's Office. We dealt with the $500,000 deficit cut to the skills trades fair, and the way it was advanced is to, take the students to the trades. Mhmm. And so we're building on that and, in adding taking the students to the trades, but also looking at opportunities of how do we bring more trades closer to students. So I'm sure, I can have Megan give you a more detailed plan of what we have, but we really do build off of each year with the skills trades
fair. No. I appreciate that. I just you know, if if folks wanna do their research, one of the most violent years in the city of Chicago was 2011. And in 2011, 39,000 young people applied for 11,000 summer jobs. And that, to me, it really spoke volumes to a city that was it was it's almost like state sponsored sabotage, right, where you don't provide those opportunities for young people. So, again, thank you for the presentation, and I I do wanna follow-up with you about that, doctor. Alright.
Thanks. I will just add to that point as we, just finished up a welding lab at Semien High School too that's opening up. Very nice place. I recommend everybody go check it out. It's it's pretty cool. Staff is ecstatic about it. Really happy to start having students go in there. So that just got finished up. Thank you very much, chief. Thank you. I'll just add, mister Brown, that we've expanded our partnership with the Public Building Commission as well, and they're being intentional about creating opportunities for our students as well on on our publicly financed projects.
Oh, I know that, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has an amazing program that they piloted at Simeon, and it's the, green technology trade. And I I would love to see that on the West Side. Right? I I talked to the principal at Austin and the principal at Al Rabie, and both of them are open to that. And both of these schools have space. Right? So just wanted to offer that. Thank you. President Harden, before you continue, I would like to note for the record that board
member Rio Sierra joined the meeting virtually via Zoom at 03:29PM. Thank you. We'll now open the floor for questions or comments on items of the public agenda. I'd like to note that the unfinished business items from 12/18/2025, Board meeting will be separate votes taken after m o three, so you can provide your questions and comments for those items before we proceed with each separate vote. Board members, are there any comments or questions on the public agenda items or any reports that you wish to have removed from the consent agenda?
Yes, mister president. I would like to remove item two, from the consent agenda. I second that motion. I just wanna note that, the item that board member Smith is referring to is actually board report 260226 p r one. Ben, board report twenty five ten twenty three p r two authorize a second final renewal agreement with various vendors to provide out of school time and student health and wellness products and services. This report will be moved as a separate vote to occur after the roll call
vote vote for m o three and before the unfinished business items. We'll open this matter up for discussion before we move to the roll call. That item will be, open for discussion for the separate vote. Understood. Page seven. You can proceed with the the vote then. We'll proceed with the vote on public agenda items. Oh, sorry. Thank you. Thank you, president Hart. I'll proceed with the items on the public agenda, read the board report numbers and brief titles. I believe vice president Bautista has motion m o two regarding the record of proceedings.
I move that their record of proceedings of the agenda review committee meeting from 01/14/2026, special board meeting of 01/20/2026, and the board meeting of 01/29/2026 prepared by the board secretary be approved, and that such records of proceedings be posted on the Chicago Board of Education website in accordance with section 2.06 b of the Open Meetings Act. Is there a second? Sorry. I second. I'll proceed with a roll call.
Member Lozano? Yes. Member Smith? Aye. Member Lopez? Aye. Member Velez? Aye. Member Boyle? Yes. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Yes. Member Rio Sierra? Aye. Member Bannon? Aye. Vice president Bautista? Yes. Member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodakurra? Yes. Member Blaze? Aye. Member Zachar? Yes. Member De Berry? Aye. 20 ayes, zero nays.
This motion is adopted by the board. President Ed Harden, I'll continue with items that do require a vote. R s one, resolution authorize appointment of members to local school councils to fill vacancies. P o one, authorize the public comment period for the victim's economic security and safety act policy. P o two, amend drug and alcohol free workplace policy. P o three, amend the automated external external defibrillator policy. PO four, amend information security policy. PO five, amend indebtedness policy.
PO six, amend the department policy. President Hardin, the amendments for PO one through PO six are necessary as part of the biannual review policy review process or to comply with state law. I'll continue with e d one, adopt academic calendar for twenty twenty six, twenty seven school year and twenty twenty seven, twenty eight school year. E x one, transfer of funds. O p one, amend agreement with Little Angels Family Day Care two, Inc, and Little Angels Learning Center one, Inc.
President Harden, this amendment is necessary to add Little Angels Learning Center one Inc as a newly as a new early childhood center education provider and to grant them additional time to secure their operating licenses. I'll continue with o p two, amend the renewal of a lease agreement with the Catholic Bishop of Chicago. President Harden, this amendment is necessary to add five the five Acero school sites. I'd also like to note that o p two was draft on agenda. The final report will be included in the agenda of action. I'd also like to note for the record that, board member Lopez will be abstaining
on OP two. P r two, authorize the second final renewal agreement with Baker Tilly US LLP. P r three, amend the first renewal agreement with Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc. President Hardin, this amendment is necessary to increase the board's spending authority for facility management and building engineer services. I'll continue with p r four. Report on the award of construction contracts and changes to construction contracts for the capital improvement program. P r five, authorize the third final renewal agreement with AT and T Enterprises LLC.
P r six, amends the first and second final renewal agreement with various vendors for student transportation services. President Hardin, this amendment is necessary to permit five of the current 14 vendors to lease and operate 50 new electric school buses. I'll continue. I'm sorry. These items do require a vote. Is there a motion? So moved. Is there a second? Second. I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Lozano? Aye. Member Smith? Aye. Member Lopez with the noted abstention on o p two?
Aye. Member Velez? Aye. Member Boyle? Yes. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Member Rio Sierra? Aye. Member Bannon? Aye. Vice president Bautista? Yes. Member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodacor? Yes. Member Blaze? Aye. Member Zachor? Yes. Member Deberry? Aye. 20 eyes with the noted abstention on o p two, which would be 19 ayes,
zero nays. These matters are adopted by the board. President Hardin, I'll continue with additional items on the public agenda that do not require a vote. P r seven, chief procurement officer, delegation of authority report for December 2025 and chief financial officer report for December 2025. E x two, report on principal contracts new. E x three, report on principal contracts renewals. A r one, report on board report rescissions. President Harden, these items just need to be accepted by the board. Please mark received and filed. President Hardin, I'll continue with items from the acting general counsel that do require a
vote. AR two, amend continued retention of various outside counsel law firms. President Hardin, this amendment is necessary to increase spending authority for one outside counsel law firm and reduce spending authority for eight outside counsel law firms. For the record, I'd like to note an abstention for board member Gutierrez for the following law firms on AR two, Burke, Warren, McKay, and Ceritello, P. C, Meyer, Brown, LLP, and Greenberg, Troward, LLP. I'll continue with AR three, authorized retention of the law firm Cronin and Company Limited,
AR AR four, workers' compensation payment for lump sum settlement for Marie Newberry. AR five, workers' compensation payment for lump sum settlement for Marie Segura. AR six, workers' compensation payment for lump sum settlement for Willie Thomas. AR seven, approve payment of proposed settlement regarding claims brought by Donette Bright, Pamela Kidd, and Tanisha Cox. President Harden, these items do require a vote. Is there a motion? So moved. Is there a second? I second the motion. I'll proceed with Roll call. Member Lozano? Yes. Member Smith? Member Lopez?
Aye. Member Velez? Aye. Member Boyle? Yes. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Yes, ma'am. Member Rios Sierra? Aye. Member Bennett? Aye. Vice president Bautista? Yes. Member Gutierrez with the noted abstentions on the law firms? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodarcura? Yes. Member Blaise? Aye. Member Zachor? Yes. Member De Berry? Aye. 20 ayes, zero nays.
These matters are adopted by the board. President Harnell continue with items from the interim superintendent, chief executive executive officer that do require a vote. E x four warning resolution, Latanya McSwine, tenured teacher assigned to Morgan Park High School. E x five warning resolution, Raul Valdivia, tenured teacher assigned to John Greenliffe Whittier Elementary School. E x six, warning resolution, Darnell Coleman, tenured teacher assigned to Frank Bennett Elementary School. E x EX seven, report on principal contract new ALSC.
EX eight, as noted on in the public agenda, is to appoint chief officer. So the action before the board for EX eight is transfer and appoint chief of technology officer effective 03/09/2026, Edward Wagner. This final report will be included in the agenda of action. I'll continue with e x nine, adopt a finding that Pupil is a nonresident of the City of Chicago indebted to the Chicago Public Schools for nonresident tuition. President Hardin, these items do require a vote. Is there a motion? So moved. Is there a second? I second the motion.
I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Lo Lozano? Yes. Member Smith? Aye. Member Lopez? Aye. Member Velez? Aye. Member Boyle? Yes. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Member Rio Sierra? Aye. Member Bannon? Aye. Vice president Bautista? Yes. Member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodacara? Yes. Member Blaise? Aye. Member Zachar? Yes. Member De Berry? Aye. 20 ayes, zero nays.
These matters are adopted by the board. President Hardin, I'll continue with an item from the board that does require a vote. RS two, resolution approving interim superintendent chief executive officer's recommendation to dismiss educational support personnel. President Hardin, this item does require a vote. Is there a motion? One more can I ask a question? I'm sorry. I think maybe I missed something. What what personnel is this? This is the educational support personnel dismissal. Yeah. I know I know that. Which educational support? I don't know that I saw this. It's for report r s two.
It was in the materials that was sent, shared with board members. I apologize. Still moved. Is there a second? I second. I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Lozano? Yes. Member Smith? Aye. Member Lopez? Aye. Member Velez? Aye. Member Boyle? Aye. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Aye. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Yes, ma'am. Member Rio Sierra? Aye. Member Bannon? Aye. Vice president Bautista?
Yes. Member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodacoru? Yes. Member Blaise? Aye. Member Zachar? Yes. Member De Berry? Aye. 20 ayes, zero nays. This matter is adopted by the board. President Hardin, I believe board member Velez has motion m o three. I move that the board adopt the minutes of the closed session meeting of 01/14/2026, 01/20/2026, and 01/29/2026, pursuant to section 2.06
of the Open Meetings Act. Board members reviewed these minutes and determined that the need for confidentiality exists. Therefore, the minutes of the closed session meetings held 01/14/2026, 01/20/2026, and 01/29/2026 shall be maintained as confidential and not available for public inspection. Is there a second? I second. I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Lozano? Yes. Member Smith? Aye. Member Lopez? Aye. Member Boyle? Aye. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer?
Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Member Rio Sierra? Aye. Member Bannon? Aye. Vice president Bautista? Yes. Member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodacura? Yes. Member Blaise? Aye. Member Zachar? Yes. Member De Berry? Aye. 20 ayes, zero nays. This motion is adopted by the board. Board members, I'd like to note that the following unfinished business item from 12/18/2025, two five two five dash one two one eight dash r s two, the resolution to
authorize appointment of members to local school councils to fill vacancies, and 25 dash 1218 dash r s three, the resolution by the Board of Education of the City of Chicago regarding the dismissal of Adebisi Ige, senior teacher assigned to Ronald Brown Elementary Community Academy. Both will be separate votes so you can provide your questions or comments for those items before we proceed with those separate votes. Board secretary, please proceed. Before we proceed with the unfinished business item, there is a separate vote on the
floor for, p r one, that board member Smith asked to have as a separate vote. So now we will proceed with that separate vote on 26 o two two six p r one, amendable report 251023 p r two, authorize the second final renewal agreement with various vendors to provide out of school time and student health and wellness products and services. President Hardin, this amendment is necessary to add 25 new vendors. For the record, I'll also like to note an abstention for board member Gutierrez on
p r one on the, matter as a whole, and an abstention for board member Lopez for the following vendor on p r one, SGA Youth and Family Services, vendor number 45. Are we open this matter for discussion? If you can call for a motion and a second. Is it a motion? I motion to open for discussion. Is there a second? A second. Yes. Thank you, president Harden for opening this up for discussion. I just wanted to let you know that, the separation of this item is in no way meant to interrupt, our schools from receiving, their after school vendor supports.
I simply believe that before we add 25 more vendors that we have to demand contractual compliance. I by ensuring that all of the vendors abide by the agreements that they made to our students. So far, now, I've asked for, how many vendors have been compliant with their contracts. And out of 97 vendors, only 27 of those 97 vendors have been compliant with
their data contracts, for the services they provide. So, because of that, I I believe that this board should send a message, that before we continue adding vendors and funding after school programs, we must have contractual compliance of how many children they're serving, what kind of services they're providing, and how those services are impacting our students. Right now, it seems as though in this part of, services, they don't believe this
board is serious about knowing what we're spending our money on when it comes to our students. So I'll be voting no for now, as it pertains to adding 25 more or 20 yeah, 25 more vendors until we can get them into a 100% contractual compliance. Thank you. Vice president Bautista. Member Boyle. Yeah. I mean, I'd like to echo what board member Smith said. When I looked at the communication from the board office, that out of our current
97 providers, only 27 of them give us, any type of data as to how many children they're serving, any, like, attendance data. We're not even asking right now about, you know, what the impact is, but can they at least mark who's in their program and how many days the child attends? We're we can't even get that from them and we're adding 25 more, and then we'll have a 122. I just wanted, like, how do we enforce that they have to comply with the
contract and and give us that data back? Because it I know we're not asking to approve money today. The money's already been approved. The 16,000,000 is approved. However, we're adding 25 more vendors when only 27 of 97 are even complying right now. So it is very frustrating. Member Blaise. So this is the first time hearing about this, and I appreciate board member Smith and member Boyle bringing this up.
However, it does worry me a little bit that we're punishing new vendors for what older vendors have done and or we're punishing everybody because s c CPS isn't, ensuring that there's compliance. So I'd I'd love some more information, but I'm not gonna hold up the the ability for those vendors to these these are small mom and pop they might be small mom and pop organizations that are really relying on on on on, hopefully, fingers
crossed, getting a contract with CPS, which is a big deal for them. So I'm not gonna hold this up, but I I hope that we can get some follow-up on how we can make sure that we're, that there's some accountability in in the process overall. Member Bennett. Can staff answer a question of whether these vendors are pending, an event, a a a presentation at a school? Are we gonna be disrupting the student experience by, not approving these 25 vendors?
We don't. That would fall under, office of college and career success. However, I do want to acknowledge, I do hear the tension. And during budget season, and we're talking about a budget crisis. I think that it's fair that Chicago Public Schools provide a process in which we're holding vendors accountable. And I think that's what's being asked here to ensure that the existing vendors, are being accountable for the data that shows, the effectiveness at least through numbers, the compliance metric compliance system that's put in place.
So we will follow-up. And if there is no existing or whatever the existing process is, we will update board members on that process and what it if it needs to be improved and how we will improve to ensure that we're collecting that data and sharing it back out with you. And that would be regardless of whether you vote to add the additional 25. That process would only help to improve the reporting, process for them as well. May I add something, doctor King? It's the fact that, approving this, particular item will not have impact in current programs.
This is to for to provide opportunities for schools to have more vendors to choose from. So there is not an urgency necessarily to approve that, today. Any additional data that you need will provide it to you, in the coming weeks. But there is no that urgency. There will not be any impact on services. This is adding vendors that currently are not operational within CPS. Amber Lopez. I agree with many of the comments said regarding, you know, being accountable, holding them accountable. I think it's also it's an opportunity to see how do we revisit and not
just this particular, you know, item before us, but any other similar items. You know, how not just for the accountability part, but also how are we measuring, right, what's working, what is not working, and how can and this good information can help a vendor as they're going to a school and presenting, right, their programs when they have data to back up their their programs. Some of these vendors that do work primarily in the 7 B District, I've seen them and have met with their participants. And, you know, they spoken very highly of, the after school programming. So thank you, chief, for answering your question if it was gonna impact any of
our programs, currently. And the other thing, I believe as a district, we also gotta keep in mind that we have a mixture of small grassroots organizations to mid sized organizations in what it is that we're gonna be asking them of something that can be applied to everyone. We also wanna be careful not putting a small grassroots organization, you know, adding roadblocks of them being able to service our community because we are adding even more administrative work on their end. Right? So So let's just also keep that in mind. Thank you.
Member Paul. Yes. I think we have to separate sorry. I think we have to separate these two issues. I think that we do need to hear from current vendors about their attendance rates, about their success with their programs. I have seen some great after school programs and some not so great after school programs in my years in the district, and I think that's important. But I think adding new vendors, we should make it very explicit to them, make it very clear what the expectations for accountability and for metrics are, but I don't
see why we shouldn't add new vendors and give new small companies, probably many of them minority owned or women owned in the community, the opportunity to serve and service our students. So I'd like to see us do both act. That is add the new vendors, make it clear to them what we need from them, and reiterate and make it clear and hold the, current vendors more accountable. Member Brown. Yes, sir. I wanna commend, board member Smith for raising the issue.
Kinda I'm looking at it a little differently as a result. I also wanna commend board member Blaze for her analysis of it. I I do think we can't punish future vendors for what the current vendors aren't doing. And then I also wanna commend, doctor King, for your corrective measure. I think that it makes a lot of sense to, just get back to the board on how we're strengthening accountability in that system. So, for that reason, I I will be a note I will be a, I
will support, those vendors coming on board, but I I do think we need to hold them accountable for how resources are spent and how they're operating. Member, third quarter. I think, keep, part of accountability is having clear expectations that have been communicated and consistently enforced. So if people maybe don't even know that they're supposed to be reporting or recording this kind of information, and they've been doing it this way for years, and then we as a district have not followed up and held people accountable to all of
a sudden be, like, pulling out the rug from under folks or under new folks, we're not even holding the same group of vendors accountable. May not be fair. If but if we give them the opportunity by resetting expectations clearly, letting them know that this is what they're gonna be held accountable to would be more fair moving forward. And just looking at the selection of the new vendors and the new opportunities that could be available for our students, there's coding, there's running, new symphony orchestras, therapy through the arts, mindfulness, performing arts. There's a lot of different opportunities that would be great for our students to have
access to, and I would support the efforts though to reestablish and clearly communicate expectations and then more consistently hold vendors accountable to reporting the data that we want. Member Biggs. So I'm Thank you. I'm certainly in favor of setting clear criteria and expectations when it comes to doing or comes to anyone doing business with the district. That's certainly in the best interest of our students and in the long term success of the district. I'm assuming that the process to become a vendor has not changed significantly since I was a principal. And so I'd like to add to this discussion that one of the primary ways
that a company or an organization becomes a new vendor is because a principal or a school community identifies a need that cannot be met by an existing vendor. And then that prospective vendor works with that principal to go through a rather arduous process to come before us and earn a vendor number. So I I certainly would like to see clear criteria and expectations set and organizations held accountable. I am hesitant, though, to, prohibit new vendors, from moving forward forward in the process
at this point. Member Bennett. Yeah. Board member Smith, I I agree with the sentiment. In fact, board member Blaze and I had a good discussion with chief Mayfield about the JLL contract. So, we're, all about looking over these contracts a little more closely and happy to join you in that process. I think, about voting yes on this would be the wrong solution to this problem. Member Guzzano. Oh, thank you, mister president. I also want to say that I'd like to see, you know, like the you know, what when they signed a contract, they're obligated to follow that contract.
But what was the follow-up after that? And maybe we can, send out a new letter saying consequences are you may be removed as a vendor because that happens. Right? You when you don't pay a bill or you don't do something, there are consequences. So I'm hoping there are a letter saying that they need to turn in this data. Otherwise, there will be consequences. But meanwhile, I think we should have more choices in regards to new vendors. Thank you. Amber Gutierrez. You know, I mentioned this the last time that we had this discussion. I have done work with the city, the state, CPS for, man, over thirty years.
And there is processes by which when you're applying for or responding to ARFP for a particular service that you have to meet. So some vendors may be, you know, you're you you wanna provide an array of services, and then you get contract and that gets negotiated off the top. But I think that, I suggested this the last time that for out of school time, the city of Chicago through the department DFSS has a similar program, and they
have similar criterias by which we should be learning from our sister agency in terms of how best practices and how do we hold vendors accountable. So I I'll tell you this right now. If we don't if on the eighth of every month, if we don't submit our payments, our our voucher reports and stuff, we don't get money. Right? So in some of these cases, I think that, it could be a vendor. The data that we're looking at is for vendors who haven't yet had an opportunity,
and now we wanna have some additional ones. So I I just think that there's some really good learnings that we could do by looking at what other folks are doing relative in this space that would help us improve, our own system when in order to hold folks accountable. Member Roosevelt. Yeah. First of all, they're not all mom and pops. There's some ginormous organizations that provide out of school time. District leadership chief Carmona just told us that we don't need to do it today. We can't we are servicing all of the students that need to be serviced.
So we can I think that board member Smith does not is not punitive what he's suggesting? He's just suggesting we put the brakes on it. Take a that that's what this elected board gets to do. We get to put the brakes on it, unpack it, and make these really informed decisions. And I I think that's all that he's saying. Not that we're not gonna honor all of these, you know, vendors eventually, but let's let's slow it down and take a look. We are currently, according to leadership, servicing all of our students.
Vice president Bautista. Yeah. I just wanna thank, doctor King for stepping up and making sure that we're gonna follow through with this. That gives me, the comfort to move forward with the vote to support adding the new, the new vendors. I really appreciate you putting your, attention on this and, addressing this issue. Yeah. I'll I'll just add. I think board member Biggs raised a a very solid point that when vendors come to the district, they have to have an endorsement as part of the vendor process.
It's an arduous process. It's not an easy one. So, I think the board is is right to be careful not to be punitive for these vendors who've gone through this process, before they've come to us. I think we can approach both, without harming the others and the efforts, and, becoming a vendor is not an assurance of you receiving an opportunity to work for the district. So there's still ample opportunity for us to make sure that accountability is there before actual awards are made. Member Smith.
Yeah. I just wanna thank this board for having such a rich conversation. This is a very beautiful conversation, and I think everybody made very valid points. I also think that accountability is not punitive. We are where the buck stops. We are the accountability. Thank you. Doctor King will close us out on this. Can you turn your mic on? Your mic. Sorry. It went off. I I just wanna agree. This was a very rich and healthy dialogue, and I do want what I what I feel really great about in this moment is that I feel like the conversation
that we're having, it speaks to our responsibility to be the first line of defense for our students so that we are protecting them and ensuring that they're having the experiences, but also being responsible with our dollars. So I'll close out on that. So I do agree that this was a very, very enriching conversation. And we will follow-up, maybe not by ARC next week, but before the next board meeting. I will make sure you all have a very, thorough update. Can we postpone this item? Oh, yeah. Thank you for that, Robert. Motion to table this item.
Is there a second? Second. Are you willing to amend to postpone to next Wednesday's ARC meeting, March 4? Yes. We can get more information. We we will commit to getting you the information you need by the next ARC meeting per chief, Carmel, and I'll see that we will get that for you. There there's a motion on the floor to defer the item to, the March 4 ARC meeting. It was motion by board member Smith and seconded by board member Rivas. I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Lozano? Yes. Member Smith? Aye. Member Lopez?
Aye. Member Velez? Nay. Member Boyle? Yes. Member Wallace? Nay. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Aye. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Yes. Member Rio Sierra? Aye. Member Bannon? Nay. Vice president Bautista? Nay. Member Gutierrez? I'm abstaining. Remember? This is, did you wanna defer Oh, to table Yes. Yes. Member Biggs? Yes. Member. Yes. Member Blaze? No. Member Zachor? No. Member De Berry?
No. 13 ayes, seven nays. This motion to defer till this item until Wednesday, March 4 is adopted. President Hardin, we'll now proceed with the unfinished business items that you, addressed from 12/18/2025. I will read the board report number and brief title. This item does require a vote. 251218 r s two. Resolution authorized appointment of members to local school councils to fill vacancies. President Hardin, this resolution was adopted in part in December and January 2025.
Hancock High School is a standing matter deferred from the board meetings held on 12/18/2025 and 01/29/2026. Is there a motion? Yes. We need a second on the motion for the item from unfinished business. Second. The second. I'm sorry. Who who seconded? Rosenfeld? Yes. Board president, pardon? I'd like to motion to amend board report 25 dash twelve one eight r s
two. Resolution to authorize appointment of members to local school councils to fill vacancies. The amendment is as follows. In the teacher section for Hancock High School, remove Monique Ramsey and add Andrew Martnick. I'd like to second that motion. Remember, Pope's second? The last move I'm sorry. I was gonna say you can move the motion to for the amended language, to the floor for discussion. Floor is now open for discussion. President Hardin and colleagues, board members, over the course of the past several months, along
with my board colleagues, Karen Zicora and Deborah Pope, and along with our internal teams from legal and the local school councils. We have been reviewing our internal policies and procedures, both for promoting and determining criteria used to sit on local school councils as both nonbinding and in binding positions. In addition to looking at how we get more people engaged in our school councils. In the coming months, we will bring forward some recommended changes that will create a
more transparent process for our eligible local school board member candidates and to begin to live to that one person, one vote motto that matters in a democratic society that we teach our students on a daily basis in our history classes. Are there any comments, questions? Member Pope? Yes. I think this is an important issue in terms of freedom of speech and in terms of the right of people to express criticisms when they have criticisms and not
to be removed from the opportunity to provide public service because they don't agree in lockstep with things. It's clear that there is not harmony at this school, but the fact that there is not harmony at this school should not be buried in an unfair and undemocratic, consultative vote on an LSC member. It has to be acknowledged. People have a right to serve, and, I think this is important. I think it's important for us to examine the criteria going forward as well.
Obviously, we don't want unfit people serving on the LSC. That is not what we want at all. What we want is for the members at the school whenever possible, unless there is some really prohibitive reason to be able to select their representatives. Thank you. Member Lopez. Just for clarification, the individual is the one initially, the school community had selected this individual. That's correct? Because I know that I've received a number of emails, from parents, from teachers regarding
on the items that board member Gutierrez and board member, Pope mentioned. I just wanted to make sure that, you all understood why this the name was being replaced. Thank you. Members of Zacor, Pope, and Gutierrez, thank you for wrestling this bear. We think it's very important. We continue to deal with LSCs. They're they're critical element. We still have a lot of work to do. We appreciate you guys taking the initiative. Board secretary, please call the roll. So I just wanna clarify to the board members, we are gonna be taking a roll call vote on the amended language, which was to replace remove Monique Ramsey and
replace with Andrew Martinek. I'll proceed with a roll call for the amended language. Member Lozano? Yes. Member Smith? Aye. Member Lopez? Aye. Member Velez? Abstain. Member Boyle? Yes. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Yes. Member Rio Sierra? Aye. Member Bannon? Aye. Vice president Bautista? Yes. Member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodacara? Yes. Member Blaise?
Aye. Member Zachary? Yes. Member De Berry? Aye. 19 ayes, zero nays, one abstention. The motion to amend the language to remove Monique Ramsey and replace with Andrew Martinek has been adopted. We'll now vote on the amended resolution. President Hardin and board members, we will now vote on board report twenty five twelve eighteen r s two resolution resolution authorize appointment of members to local school councils to fill vacancies with the amended language in the teacher section. Remove Monique Ramsey and add Andrew Martinek for Hancock High School.
Is there a motion? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Who, seconded? I'm sorry. Member Zakor. Zakor. Okay. Thank you. I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Lopez? Aye. Lopez? Oh, I'm sorry. Member Lozano? Aye. Sorry. Member Smith? Aye. Do you need me? Member Lopez? Aye. Member Velez? Aye. Member Boyle? Aye. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Riva Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Yes. Member Rio Sierra? Aye. Member Bennett?
Aye. Member vice president Bautista? Yes. Member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodakur? Yes. Member Blaise? Aye. Member Zachar? Yes. Member De Berry? Aye. 20 ayes, zero nays. This motion is this matter is adopted by the board. President Hardin, I'll continue with twenty five twelve eighteen r s three. Resolution by the Board of Education of the City of Chicago regarding the dismissal of Adebisi Igay, tenured teacher assigned to Ronald Brown Elementary Community Academy.
President Hardin, for the record, this resolution accepts the hearing officer's recommendation for dismissal. Adebisi Ige is hereby dismissed. Is there a motion? So moved. Is there a second? Second. We'll now open this matter up for discussion Are any comments before proceeding? There being none? I've Oh, apologies. Yes, sir. My but Let me move around. My comment would be quick. I'm I'm deeply concerned about, a culture of really just hyper punitive actions toward black educators, black teachers, black administrators.
And so my vote will be, a no to, terminate based off what the report was that this person was accused of doing. And I I just think that it I I'm I'm very I'm gonna on the side of the need for us to reform the lens in which we see black educators. Case in point, twenty years ago, we were 44% of the teaching force.
Today, we're 19, and we just moved like that's normal. Like, that wasn't a purge. Right? And and I and I that's not okay with me. I'm not saying that this educator does not need to be held accountable, but I think ending someone's career, I think, is very punitive. So I will be a no vote on it. Are there any other comments? I'll proceed with a roll call on the unfinished business item 251218 r s three. Member Lozano? No. Member Smith? Yes. Member Lopez? Aye. Member Velez? Nay.
Member Boyle? Yes. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Abstain. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? No. Member Rio Sierra? Nay. Is that a nay? Yes. That was a nay. Member Bannon? Abstain. Vice president Bautista? I also abstain. Member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodakur? Yes. Member Blaze? No. Member Zachor? Abstain. Member De Berry? Abstain. 10 ayes, five nays, five abstentions. This matter fails of adoption.
We'll now move it to executive session. Board member Smith, do you have motion m o four? Yes. I move that the I move for the passage of motion number twenty six zero two two six m 04 and the commencement of a closed session to consider matters permitted under section two c of the Open Meetings Act, subsections one and two as specified in the motion. Is there a second? Sorry. I second the motion. I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Lozano?
Yes. Member Smith? Aye. Member Lopez? Aye. Member Velez? Aye. Member Boyle? Aye. Member Wallace? Aye. Member Custer? Aye. Member Pope? Yes. Member Rosenfeld? Yes. Member Rivas? Yes. Member Brown? Yes, ma'am. Member Rio Sierra? Aye. Member Bannan? Aye. Vice president Bautista? Yes. Member member Gutierrez? Aye. Member Biggs? Yes. Member Thodacora? Yes. Member Blaze? Yes. Member Zachor? Yes. Member Deberry? Yes. 20 ayes, zero nays. This motion is adopted by the board.
This meeting will now go into closed session. The board meeting of the Board of Education is reconvened. Board secretary, please proceed. President Hardin, I would like to note for the record that there are no items to vote on from executive session. Thank you. Is there a motion to adjourn? Motion to adjourn. Is there a second? Second. All in favor? Aye. We are adjourned. Thank you, everyone. Who's seconded?