The Chicago Board of Education has again delayed its decision on Chicago Arts High School funding. The conversation and advocacy continue.
On August 27, the Chicago Board of Education again tabled consideration of a resolution that would provide an estimated $5.5 million to the Chicago Arts High School for the 2026–27 school year. The resolution is now expected to return for consideration at the Board’s September 10 Agenda Review Committee meeting.
We recognize the importance of Chicago Arts High School and the students, families, educators, alumni, and community members who have advocated for its future. Chicago students deserve access to excellent arts education in their neighborhood schools, as well as opportunities to attend and thrive at an extraordinary arts conservatory school. We remain committed to both.
At the same time, the proposed funding raises important questions about the future of arts education across Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and about how the district is making this decision.
The proposed $5.5 million allocation represents a significant, one-time investment in a single school at a time when CPS is facing substantial financial challenges. The Board should consider not only how this investment will be funded and sustained, but also how it fits within the district’s broader educational and financial priorities and what precedent it establishes for other schools facing financial needs.
Good governance requires the Board to consider how individual decisions affect students across the district, use evidence and accessible information to guide decisions, and ensure transparency, accountability, and long-term financial sustainability. Chicago families and communities deserve to understand the rationale for this investment, how the funds would be used, what outcomes are expected, and how CPS will ensure that supporting Chicago Arts High School does not come at the expense of opportunities for students in other schools.
The Board’s decision to delay consideration until September 10 provides an important opportunity for these questions to be addressed.
What can you do?
If you share these concerns, we encourage you to let members of the Chicago Board of Education know. Ask them to consider how the proposed investment in Chicago Arts High School can be made while protecting the district’s broader commitments to arts education, student learning, and the long-term financial health of Chicago Public Schools.
You might ask:
- Where will the $5.5 million come from, and how does CPS plan to make this investment financially feasible?
- Is this a one-time investment, or is CPS anticipating an ongoing annual commitment? What is the plan for sustaining this investment in 2027–28 and beyond?
- How does this resolution align with CPS’s recently adopted Arts Education Plan, Cultivating Creativity, and its commitment to expanding access and improving quality across the district?
- How will CPS ensure that this investment does not come at the expense of arts education opportunities for students at other CPS schools?
- How will the $5.5 million be used? What accountability measures and outcomes will be attached to this investment?
- What precedent does this establish for how CPS will respond to significant financial shortfalls at other schools or programs?
The Board is expected to take up the resolution again at its September 10 Agenda Review Committee meeting. You can find information about Board members and their districts on the Chicago Board of Education’s Board Bios page.
Ingenuity will continue advocating for a future in which every CPS student has access to meaningful, high-quality arts education. We will continue working with educators, schools, arts partners, funders, CPS, families, and the broader Chicago community to make that vision a reality.
