In the wake of a summer filled with uncertainty in terms of funding for Lane and all other CPS schools, Lane’s Local School Council (LSC) met July 25 and unanimously approved the long awaited budget for the upcoming school year. Principals received budgets very late in the summer as a result of the uncertainty and were given tight deadlines to approve them.

Compared to last year, Lane’s 2018 budget will increase by $1,256,588, to a total of $28,548,872, according to the Chicago Tribune. This is a 4.6 percent funding increase from 2017. However this change comes as a result of a projected increase in student population.

Mr. Tennison, Lane’s principal, said the school projects that about 250 more students will be enrolled at Lane next year. This is because the outgoing senior class was smaller than the incoming freshman population.

According to Tennison this means that 96 percent of the new budget will go towards salaries for current teachers along with new ones being hired.

“That allows us to keep all of our current teachers and staff and increase our teaching staff to accommodate our student population,” Tennison said. Even with all of the staff being kept the budget is not as high as many would wish.

“We will have enough money to support our school, but it will be tight,” Tennison said.

Not all CPS schools are receiving more funding and some on the south and west sides of the city are actually losing funding compared to last year — the hardest hit being in West Garfield Park, where schools will lose over 10 percent of their funding according to the Chicago Teachers Union.

There are currently 642 schools in the district according to the Tribune. 336 of those schools will see an increase in funding similarly to Lane, however many will also have increased enrollment. Ultimately still cutting the allotted amount of spending for each student.

All together CPS high schools specifically, will lose upwards of $6 million in light of the total loss of district students which is projected around 8,000.