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City of Chicago School District 299 special meeting, Dec 29, 2025

1 h 03 min · 1 public speaker

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 1 h 03 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Chicago Board of Education adopts amended fiscal 2026 property tax levy, 15⁠-⁠5 1:00:15

  • The district treasurer and acting CFO said the amendment is roughly $40 million more than the board approved in August and could bring between $25 and $30 million of additional revenue. 14:13
  • The district treasurer said delayed county property tax payments had cost the district $33 million in interest expense, and a board member asked whether the district had raised the delays with the county and whether an appeal to the state treasurer would help before shifting the burden to property owners. 14:13
  • One board member said that board member was voting no on any further property tax increases, while another said that board member would always vote to fund the schools. 50:03
  • The board voted 15 ayes, 5 nays to adopt a resolution amending its fiscal year 2026 property tax levy for school and capital improvement purposes. 1:00:15
Item by item (7)
  1. Opening, announcements and roll call 0:00
    • A staff member announced the next board meeting for Thursday, January 29th, 2026 at 10:30 AM. 0:00
    • The board secretary reported 20 members present and a quorum. 3:01
    • The board president said the board convened during the district's winter break to vote on an amendment of the school and capital improvement tax levy. 3:12
  2. Public participation 8:08
    • A speaker at public comment said the meeting was not publicly advertised on the board website calendar. 9:58
    • The speaker raised concerns about a planned stadium renovation, saying the field is only 62 yards wide and should be 70 to 75 yards wide for soccer. 10:23
  3. Recess 12:31
    • A board member moved that the board take a 40-minute recess. 12:31
  4. Presentation on tax levy amendment 13:49
    • The district treasurer and acting CFO said the district ended fiscal year '25 with negative $339 million of cash flow. 14:13
    • The treasurer said the county had paid 20% of taxes due, leaving 80% missing, at an interest cost of $220,000 a day. 14:13
    • The treasurer said the revised FY26 levy is $4.126 billion, a 4.78% increase over the prior year, with an estimated impact on a $250,000 home of $8. 14:13
  5. Board discussion of tax levy 28:21
    • The treasurer said a county loan program for the delays was only about $300 million, that the district was not eligible, and that the district borrowed over $1.6 billion. 33:07
    • A speaker asked whether district cost increases were above or below the 2.9% inflation rate, and a staff member said expenditure pressures were greater than 2.9%. 42:55
  6. Vote on tax levy amendment 1:00:07
    • The board secretary read the resolution amending the fiscal year 2026 property tax levy and said the amendment is necessary to incorporate the additional new property value. 1:00:15
    • The board adopted the resolution 15 ayes, 5 nays. 1:02:17
  7. Adjournment 1:02:27
    • The board president called for a motion to adjourn. 1:02:27

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Chicago Board of Education December 29, 2025 (Special Board Meeting)”