WASHINGTON POST: COVID money boosted Chicago’s schools. Now it’s gone, and the city is in crisis.
Laura Meckler’s article in The Washington Post reveals how Chicago’s public schools are facing a financial collapse after burning through $2.8 billion in COVID relief funds. These funds were used to hire thousands of staff members, but with the money gone, the district faces a budget crisis without a plan for sustaining the payroll. Now, the teachers’ union is pushing for raises, the mayor is advocating for a risky $300 million loan, and the city’s leadership is in turmoil. Meckler states in the article:
Thousands of people have been hired at the Chicago Public Schools over the past few years, fueled by $2.8 billion in federal covid relief funding. Now the money is gone, but no one wants to reduce the workforce, and an ugly budget fight has plunged one of the nation’s largest districts into a financial and leadership crisis.
This situation should serve as a warning about the dangers of unsustainable education systems. When public schools are dependent on fleeting government funds, they are left vulnerable to the same kind of collapse now facing Chicago. Conservative voices have long advocated for school choice and educational freedom as a solution to this chronic mismanagement. Public schools have shown time and again they cannot be trusted with large sums of taxpayer dollars—whether it's Chicago’s bloated payrolls or Arizona’s $1 billion surplus sitting unused while public schools claim they need more money. Christian education, by contrast, offers a solution grounded in fiscal responsibility and moral teaching, with its foundation in biblical values, which are desperately needed to heal the soul of our nation. Meckler states in the article:
The mayor is pressuring the school system to consider a $300 million high-interest loan to cover short-term expenses, and he’s tried to oust the schools chief, who won’t go along. The teachers union is fighting any cuts while also pushing for new hires and big raises.
These budget issues reflect the spiritual void in our public school systems. Chicago's failure to act responsibly with its finances also mirrors its failure to instill proper values. This is why Christians must take action to ensure that Christian education is prioritized. If we want to restore our nation's soul, we must ensure that future generations are raised with biblical truths in schools that operate with integrity and foresight.
Read the full story here.
