As community questions spending, CPS lays out capital plans

How can Chicago Public Schools consider paying for new buildings and annexes when it cannot manage to pay for the schools it already has?

That was the gist of the questions posed to CPS officials at a brief capital budget hearing Wednesday evening, one of a series of meetings this week that happened to finish an hour ahead of schedule.

Jennie Bennett, who's treasurer for the state's largest school district, laid out CPS' capital spending plans for the fiscal year that began on July 1, comprising at least $173 million to relieve overcrowding; $51 million in facility upgrades; $32 million in building repair - including fixes for schools that have tested positive for lead in their drinking water - and $81 million in technology and other much-needed upgrades.

That's a total of $338 million so far. District officials plan to issue a supplemental budget this fall, Bennett said, adding, "We want to see what the bond markets will support in terms of funding."

The budget that CPS CEO Forrest Claypool boasts is "balanced" still depends on at least two big "ifs": on more than $200 million from state legislators who must pass "pension reform" by January for the money to materialize, and on about $30 million in concessions from the Chicago Teachers Union. Meanwhile, CPS, which claims a budget deficit of $1.1 billion - also announced intentions this week to seek up to $945 million in bonds.

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