Chicago's underutilized schools prove that increased funding without accountability fails students
Source: "Chicago school spends $93K per student with zero math or reading proficiency | Fox News." March 30, 2026. www.foxnews.com
The Gist
The author argues that Chicago's public schools are wasting massive amounts of money on nearly empty buildings while students fail academically. They claim the teachers union blocks necessary reforms like school closures and school choice programs that would actually help kids learn.
Conclusion
Chicago's public school system is failing students due to bureaucratic inefficiency and union resistance to reform, not lack of funding
Premises
- Frederick Douglass Academy spends $93,000 per student with 28 staff for 27 students yet achieves zero math or reading proficiency
- Over half of Chicago's public school buildings are underutilized, with 255 schools operating below capacity
- Since 2019, Chicago Public Schools lost 10% of student enrollment while staffing increased 20%
- In 2024, 80 Chicago public schools had zero students proficient in math and 24 had zero proficiency in reading
- The Chicago Teachers Union blocks school closures and limits charter school expansion, prioritizing job protection over student outcomes
- Union leadership exhibits hypocrisy by using private schools for their own children while opposing school choice for others
Assumptions
- Per-pupil spending is a meaningful measure of educational resource allocation
- School choice and competition improve educational outcomes
- Teacher unions primarily serve their own interests rather than student welfare
- Closing underutilized schools and redirecting resources would improve overall system performance
- Private and charter schools are inherently more effective than traditional public schools