Dear Students, Parents and Staff -
Our school and district goal is to ensure that our students receive a quality education, in a safe and comfortable school, with dedicated, inspiring, and caring teachers. Our school strives towards reaching those goals every day – and even in the face of significant challenges, we’ve made great progress towards them. Lane Tech proves itself time and time again to be the “School of Champions” in academics and extracurricular activities. Our school has the largest Advanced Placement program in the district, state, and nation; the largest and most innovative computer science program; the most robust and award-winning fine arts program; and over 100 unique elective courses from Astrochemistry to Adaptive Music. In addition, our students may participate in over 33 different sports teams and over 100 clubs, which include competitive teams such as robotics, debate, and academic decathlon. As a result of these amazing academic and extracurricular opportunities, our students leave Lane prepared to succeed in college and beyond.
I am writing you today, because this progress is now in jeopardy.
Our school district, Chicago Public Schools (CPS), is facing a $480 million dollar budget shortfall that will have consequences on our staff, class size, and curricular and extracurricular offerings beginning next year or potentially next semester, if no action is taken. Unfortunately, no specific information has been given to schools about the funding loss we could expect to see. Rumors suggest the funding loss could be around 20% of current budgets. For Lane, this means a loss of approximately 45 staff members including teachers, counselors, administrators, security, and other support staff. Without these vital staff members we would not be able to run all of our current courses nor offer all of our extracurricular opportunities. Simply stated, without an adequate budget, we would not be able to sustain our constant growth and support of student success at Lane Tech.
We need your help - this problem cannot be solved without you.
Our elected leaders in Springfield are the ones who will decide whether or not funding will come through. For years, Springfield has cut education funding - asking you as a taxpayer to do more and giving your children less. Now they must decide if they will provide CPS with needed relief in the form of $200 million in pension costs and increased education funding across the state -- or whether they will continue to treat Chicago’s students unfairly.
As parents and educators, we cannot fully focus on the needs of our students with continued financial instability that upends our schools. It is time we let Governor Rauner and our elected representatives know that this era of one-off budget tricks is over, and that we need them to treat Chicago students fairly, by funding Chicago schools and teacher pensions as they do for the rest of the state.
Your voice – as a taxpayer, a voter, and a parent – is so critical for our leaders to hear.
Please take a minute to visit cps.edu/takeaction, where you will find resources to help you speak up for our community.
I am confident we can solve this if we work together to let Springfield know that shared values around education means shared responsibility – and it is high time they step up.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Anderson
Principal
