Could a drop in CPS enrollment be a good thing?

Plus, the city's newest mayoral contender on reducing crime. Here's what you need to know today.

Friday, August 12, 2022 Today's Rundown is brought to you by WBEZ members   by Hunter Clauss   Hey there! It’s Friday, and I woke up last night with that diva the moon showing off again. I had to shut my blinds because it was so bright. Here’s what you need to know today. 1. Student enrollment at Chicago Public Schools could drop by as much as 15,000 — and that could be a good thing?   The student population at Chicago Public Schools could drop below 300,000 this year and dip as low as 262,000 by 2025, according to researchers with the technology company DataMade who specialize in using data to address civic problems. But the researchers say there may be a silver lining: With fewer students, CPS could spend more money on each child, reports WBEZ’s Sarah Karp. The district’s main revenue sources — state and local property taxes — are relatively stable and don’t decline significantly when enrollment drops, despite a perception otherwise.  “This actually suggests that there could be some very interesting opportunities for spending more per student,” said DataMade researcher Forest Gregg.  But as Karp reports, “classroom and enrichment teachers, such as art teachers and librarians, continue to be paid through student-based budgeting. As a result, schools that lost students received less money this year and some had to let teachers go.” [WBEZ] 2. The newest mayoral candidate wants to allocate more police officers to neighborhoods that need them the most   Ald. Sophia King, who announced her bid for mayor of Chicago just days ago, says Chicago needs a “more equitable distribution of police,” a thorny issue that mayors have avoided for decades, reports Fran Spielman at the Chicago Sun-Times. Last year, a study from the University of Chicago Crime Lab found the city could reassign more officers to high-crime areas by following a formula that takes into account calls for service, total violent crime in the area, population and attrition of retiring officers. But the officers would have to come from somewhere else, and members of the City Council have typically argued against the idea of losing officers patrolling their wards. King also says she wants to provide incentives to stop a wave of police retirements, and those same bonuses would apply to teachers who are also facing burnout. [Chicago Sun-Times] 3. The Chicago Transit Authority unveils a plan to tackle crime and unreliable service   With violent crime on public trains and buses reaching a level not seen in more than a decade, the head of the Chicago Transit Authority this week announced a long-awaited plan aimed at beefing up security and improving service. CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. said the number of security guards will increase from 200 to 300. He also said more police officers will patrol the transit system, but it’s unclear by how much. When it comes to complaints of unreliable service, Carter said the CTA will hire more bus and train operators. With bus operators alone, there are more than 800 vacancies, a staffing shortage that has resulted in unpredictable service, he said. Part of the plan calls for shifting 300 part-time bus operators to full-time positions and rehiring retired bus operators to work part time. [Chicago Sun-Times] 4. A lot of kids under the age of 5 in Illinois have not gotten their first COVID shot   Since June, about one in 20 Illinois children — and one in 10 Chicago children under five — has gotten at least one dose, reports Lisa Philip for WBEZ.  “A breakdown of Chicago vaccination rates by race reveals even lower numbers,” Philip explains.  “Just 2% of Black Chicagoans and 3% of Latinx Chicagoans under 5 have gotten one dose of a COVID vaccine, compared to 18% of white Chicagoans in the same age group. As pediatricians and child care center providers work to understand why, they are confronting parent skepticism about vaccine safety and barriers to access.” [WBEZ] 5. What happened to two boaters who disappeared on Lake Michigan?   Dexter Sain and Curtis Herron set sail on their new boat on the morning of July 27 and have not been seen since, reports the Chicago Tribune.  Hours after departing East Chicago Marina in Indiana, they contacted a tow company after experiencing electrical problems, police say, but they declined the company’s services because it was too expensive.  “I still have questions,” Curtis Herron’s younger sister, Tatiana, told the Tribune. “What do you all do when someone is stuck out there and don’t have no money or anything to get the help they need? You just leave them out there?” [Chicago Tribune] Here's what else is happening Federal agents executed the search warrant on former President Donald Trump’s Florida home as they investigated potential crimes associated with violations of the Espionage Act. [New York Times] Polio has been detected in New York City’s sewage, suggesting the virus is circulating. [AP] Author Salman Rushdie was attacked this morning as he was about to give a lecture. [AP] An Illinois appeals panel orders a review of a guilty plea by a mother with mental illness. [WBEZ]    Sasha's Pick Take a deep dive into the city’s budget shortfall, the governor’s race and much more with a panel of journalists. As always Reset covers the biggest local and state stories of the week in the video livestream of our Chicago News Recap. [WBEZ Reset] — Sasha-Ann Simons, host of Reset Oh, and one more thing... The body of JoJo, the beloved silverback gorilla, is heading to the Field Museum for scientific research, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.  “JoJo will be added to our collection so that scientists can study his remains to learn more about how gorillas evolved and how we might be able to help protect them,” said Kate Golembiewski, a spokeswoman for the museum. JoJo, who clocked in at 485 pounds, died two weeks ago at the Brookfield Zoo. Golembiewski said it’s unlikely his body will be on display for visitors like the beloved western lowland gorilla named Bushman, who died in 1951 at the Lincoln Park Zoo. [Sun-Times] Tell me something good The new school year is right around the corner. What’s one of your fondest school memories?  Aaron Knowlton writes:  “Lots of memories from my school years, but probably what stands out the most to this day would be the reading challenges my elementary school principal would put forth every year and what she’d do if our school accomplished the reading goal.  “The first year I remember she posed the challenge, she said she’d dye her hair purple. Sure enough we met that challenge, and she dyed her hair. She wanted the next year to be bigger, pushing more books for a bigger reward. Once we met our goal, she said this time she’d be jumping out of an airplane. She coordinated buses so everyone could be at the airport when she jumped (with an instructor of course). I just remember her being one of the friendliest people, always wanting to see her students succeed, and trying to get us to read in any way possible.” And Susan Camasta writes:  “My third grade teacher was Miss Novak, at Jamieson, a Chicago public school. She walked around the classroom in stocking feet and played Barbra Streisand music. She also personally picked out books in the school library.  “Another of my favorite memories of her was learning to write in cursive. I had a difficult time and in fact received a red U (for unsatisfactory) on my report card for one quarter. When I finally got the hang of it she gave me a big kiss that I’ll never forget. And by the way folks say I have beautiful handwriting.” Thanks for all the responses this week. I’m sorry I couldn’t share them all, but it was nice hearing from you.  therundown@wbez.org | @whuntah Thanks for reading and have a nice night! I'll see you tomorrow. — Hunter Clauss ©Chicago Public Media Inc 848 East Grand Ave, Navy Pier Chicago, IL 60611 View in Browser | Sign Up for Newsletters | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy