Cheryl Connor, the mother of three students at Sabin Dual Language Magnet School, first heard of Chicago Public Schools鈥 Opportunity Index this spring when she learned her Northwest Side campus faced a tighter budget for the coming school year.
The district overhauled its approach to budgeting this year, aiming to downplay enrollment size as a factor, provide all schools with certain base positions 鈥 and steer more dollars to schools serving the city鈥檚 most vulnerable students. The index, which factors student demographics, neighborhood metrics, and historical funding data into a single score, is the tool officials used to quantify each school鈥檚 level of need.
Giving more to schools that need more is a worthy goal, some experts said. But it comes at a complicated time, as the district faces enrollment instability and a deficit brought on by the end of federal COVID recovery money, meaning officials are taking from some campuses to give others a boost.
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