Chicago – December 03, 2025
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has become a case study in systemic mismanagement, as revealed by an Inspector General report documenting $23.6 million in misspent funds—much of it on unauthorized luxury travel, extended vacations disguised as professional development, and overseas trips with leisure activities. Most of this waste occurred in 2023–24, even though the money—especially federal pandemic relief—was intended to address severe learning loss after prolonged school closures.
Meanwhile, CPS continues to deliver poor academic results: only about 40% of students read at grade level, roughly 25% meet math standards, and chronic absenteeism affects nearly half of students. These failures, which correlate with rising youth crime and broader public-safety challenges, highlight a district that is not meeting its basic educational responsibilities. The piece argues that such misuse of funds and declining outcomes strengthen the case for school choice and notes that misplaced priorities are not unique to Chicago, pointing to similar trends in New York.
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