Bloomberg Information
Having didn’t make modifications demanded by the Trump administration earlier than this week’s deadline, Chicago Public Colleges misplaced entry to $8 million in fiscal yr 2026 grant funding.
The Magnet College Help Program grant has paid for CPS to shift school rooms to Science, Expertise, Engineering, Arts and Arithmetic (STEAM) educational fashions. It has additionally supported expertise integration, customized studying approaches, new employees positions, after-school programming and discipline journeys.
The $8 million is a comparatively small quantity in comparison with the Chicago Board of Training’s
The halted funds for Chicago are a part of $65 million in whole funding stopped by the federal authorities over variety, fairness and inclusion insurance policies. New York Metropolis and Fairfax, Virginia, faculties are additionally affected,
CPS argued in a Sept. 19 response to Craig Trainor, Division of Training appearing assistant secretary for civil rights, that DOE didn’t help its argument with particular proof and the grant termination “will instantly hurt CPS college students,” impacting 1000’s of schoolkids and employees.
In a Sept. 16 letter shared with The Bond Purchaser, Trainor claimed CPS programming to enhance Black college students’ instructional outcomes and its insurance policies round transgender college students are discriminatory.
Trainor mentioned he wouldn’t certify the district’s MSAP grant — each as a result of he believes the district’s insurance policies go in opposition to College students for Honest Admissions v. Harvard and since the grant “is not in the most effective curiosity of the federal authorities.”
Elizabeth Barton, the district’s appearing normal counsel, famous in response, “CPS is statutorily mandated to appropriate educational and alternative gaps for Black college students” underneath state legislation. State legislation equally bans discrimination primarily based on an individual’s precise or perceived intercourse, she mentioned, and “protects all college students’ rights to take part in class athletics in line with their gender identification.”
“Your arguments are unpersuasive,” Trainor wrote in a terse Sept. 20 reply. He denied a request for an extension and refused to supply an in depth justification for the cutoff, giving CPS till 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to implement remedial measures or lose its funding.
Barton replied earlier than the deadline, protesting, “You place CPS in an unattainable place the place we’re pressured to defend ourselves with out the factual and authorized foundation that solely you may present.”
The district has an open request underneath the Freedom of Info Act for supplies pertaining to the division’s investigations and findings on this matter, together with Trainor’s emails about CPS. However CPS didn’t take the remedial measures Trainor was demanding.
The CPS funds workplace will now evaluate every line merchandise and determine which programming makes monetary sense to proceed, a district supply mentioned.
The Division of Training didn’t reply to a request for remark by press time.
The Chicago Board of Training is rated BB-plus with a secure outlook by Fitch Scores. KBRA assigns a BBB score (besides the 2016 to 2019 GO bonds, which it charges BBB-plus); the outlook is unfavourable.
Moody’s Scores charges the district Ba1 with a constructive outlook. S&P International Scores assigns a BB-plus score; the outlook is secure.
