* 10/5/25 - Chalkbeat Chicago - Chicago Public Schools enrollment dips by nearly 3% resuming decade-long slide + Chicago loses millions in federal magnet school money over DEI dispute with Trump administration + Chicago Public Schools considers reorganizing middle management
Buzz Sawyer
The board at the Chicago High School for the Arts, a 550-student campus on the West Side, decided not to seek renewal after this school year.
Yehiri Gonzalez is among the first cohort of the district’s Teach Chicago Tomorrow program to help graduates get teaching degrees. She started leading her own classroom this fall.
More than 24,000 kids transferred schools within CPS last school year. Chalkbeat Chicago is interested in hearing more about why students transfer.
Many students and union officials asked the school board for help to prevent a possible midyear closure of the South Side high school.
Enrollment declined among most student groups, including Black and Hispanic students, as well as those learning English as a new language and those who live in temporary housing.
Illinois students’ math scores have remained lower than pre-pandemic scores. To fix that, the State Board of Education is putting together a numeracy plan to change how math is taught in schools.
The U.S. Department of Education said Wednesday it will not grant Chicago $5.8 million this year and $17.5 million in remaining years under the Magnet Schools Assistance Program. CPS had two active magnet school grants that support six schools.
The search firm leading the hunt for Chicago’s next schools chief said more than 85 candidates applied. About 20 will soon interview with school board members and a source says interim CEO Macquline King is applying.
The overhaul is aimed at saving money and directing more money directly to schools. Some sources told Chalkbeat a new structure that aligns with Chicago’s school board electoral districts would replace the current network structure.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law requiring school districts to provide information on Illinois ABLE accounts to students with 504 plans and young children in Early Intervention in 2026.