By: Ashmar Mandou

Hundreds of parents and teachers held a press conference Wednesday morning to denounce CPS’s decision to withhold funding to charter schools. “The uncertainty we are facing with the delay and an unknown timeline for payment puts Chicago charter schools at an enormous disadvantage,” said Erie Charter School Principal Velia Soto. “We cannot buy time to balance the state budget on the backs of charter school students.” Charter public schools are set to open in a few weeks, but with recent funding decisions by CPS to delay 85 percent of funding for the start of the 2015-2016 school-year. Signs reading “we want equal funding” took over the press conference with parents asking CPS to restore “equitable funding to all schools in the district.” If funding is not restored, charter public schools may face shortening their school year and increasing class sizes. Charter schools, like all public schools, receive its education funding based on the number of students who choose to enroll there.

Photo Credit: Illinois Network of Charter Schools