A cautionary tale for CPS

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Chicago Tribune Opinion

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

 
 

Good morning, Chicago. 

Chicago Public Schools is projected to end the year with a $45 million deficit, WBEZ reported. The school district’s enrollment has declined, while spending per student has remained high. Plus, more than half of the school buildings are underused. 

The Tribune Editorial Board writes in its first piece today that it is time for CPS to consider consolidation. If it doesn’t, the district may face a similar fate as Indianapolis Public Schools, now run by a new agency. Read this cautionary tale below. 

Our section today is also focused on public safety. Two high-ranking federal officials, U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros and ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon, write about their new approach to violence prevention in northern Illinois. 

Also, Jamie Kalven, who was one of the first to report on the Laquan McDonald case, examines what the delay in releasing the bodycam footage related to the shooting death of Chicago police Officer Krytal Rivera says about transparency in Chicago. 

The board recently took a trip to the Shedd  — which is under construction — and writes in its second piece today about the aquarium’s popularity and the important role it plays in Chicago’s tourism landscape. 

Thanks for reading! 

— Grace Miserocchi, opinion editor

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Editorial: Indianapolis acts on school consolidation. Chicago refuses, despite a projected deficit.

If Chicago Public Schools continues to avoid consolidation, the pressure for more drastic, less democratic fixes will grow.

Read more →

Andrew S. Boutros and Christopher C. Amon: The new dawn of federal anti-violence initiatives in Chicago

If the goal is reducing shootings in Chicago, the evidence based on law enforcement experience points toward interrupting violence in real time.

Read more →

Jamie Kalven: As the Krystal Rivera case shows, transparency in Chicago is a work in progress

The release of footage of Officer Krystal Rivera’s partner fatally shooting her reveals the limitations of Chicago’s release policy.

Read more →

Editorial: Shedd Aquarium is up there with the Cubs when it comes to visitors

The Shedd Aquarium is renovating. Power to the fish.

Read more →

Letters: Child welfare professionals help families in many ways. Horror stories obscure that.

Severe child maltreatment is not reducible to a single cause, and serious child welfare policy cannot be reduced to a single response.

Read more →

Editorial: Slain officer would still be alive but for our broken system of enforcing warrants

Systemic failure resulted in the killing of a Chicago cop.

Read more →
 

Scott Stantis 

 

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