CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Public Schools plan to lay off 400 classroom teachers and 200 support personnel by the end of the week as the district deals with a record $370 million budget deficit.
Notices began going out Wednesday to the affected employees, who work in about 200 elementary schools that start their year earlier than most schools, on Aug. 10.
The notifications come as the district and Chicago Teachers Union prepared for budget talks that start Friday.
The system's head of personnel, Alicia Winckler says this week's layoffs are mostly the result of an increase in high school class sizes — to 33 students — and cuts to bilingual education and world language classes.
CPS Chief Ron Huberman recently said systemwide layoffs could exceed 1,200 by Labor Day, but Winckler, says the number could exceed 1,500.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
