School’s out — on Thursday. That means Pedro Martinez is out soon too. The ousted CPS CEO’s contract ends next week. And there’s still no 2026 budget.
Budget Woes
In May, Martinez outlined a potential budget that hinged on an additional $300 million from the city and state. However, the legislative session in Springfield recently ended without that funding. The school district is also hoping for funds from a city TIF surplus, as was the case in 2025, but that’s no guarantee.
Likely, CPS’ budget shortfall will be close to $529 million. Without that money, the district may eliminate up to 1,700 school positions to fill the hole.
The fiscal year for CPS technically begins July 1, but the school board has until its monthly meeting in August to pass an official, finalized budget.
Today’s board meeting is scheduled to focus on choosing Martinez’ temporary replacement.
The Next (Interim) CEO
Three candidates are in the official running:
- Macquline King, the city’s senior director of educational policy
- Alfonso Carmona, CPS chief portfolio officer
- Nicole Milberg, CPS chief of teaching and learning.
King has come under fire over multiple internal investigations at the school where she was a principal.
Notably, all three candidates have a superintendent’s license. That new requirement was the subject of recent debate, as the mayor pushed for his own chief of staff to take on the position. She did not hold that required license.
Whoever ends up in the role will be in charge of getting next year’s thorny budget passed. They can also expect pressure from the Chicago Teachers Union to protect their contract, which was ratified in April.
A Potential Lawsuit?
Last week, CPS officials suggested delaying some of the wins promised in the new CTU contract. Among them, class size limits and hiring school staff such as librarians and nurses.
In response, the union quickly threatened to sue, calling the idea “vindictive sabotage” and slamming Martinez in a letter to members.
Looking ahead further, CTU is also likely to fight layoffs.
Stay tuned to see which new CPS candidate will take it on! This summer break is already shaping into a public school thunderdome.
