By Steve Rhodes
“Chicago’s school district will not be saving as much by closing 54 schools as it originally told the public,” Linda Lutton reports for WBEZ.
“When it announced the closings, Chicago Public Schools said it would save $560 million in capital expenses over the next 10 years by closing schools and avoiding repairs and upgrades on those buildings.
“Now, the district is revising that cost savings number downward. It says it was off by $122 million, or 20 percent.”
Or, to put it another way, it was off by $5 million more than the entire Cubs’ payroll.
I thought we were running CPS like a business now! A public corporation missing the mark on such a fundamental estimate would be introducing a new CEO right about now.
*
“The real 10-year cost savings figure is $437.8 million, CPS now says. It made the correction on page 36 of a 457-page document that lays out the district’s facilities plan for the next decade.”
C’mon, CPS! Y’all are losing it; back in Brizard’s day the new number would have been buried in the footnotes.
*
“Chicago Public Schools says it made an ‘honest mistake’ when adding numbers, and had plugged in some schools that didn’t belong there.”
Perhaps, but I’m afraid that under our new accountability regimen those officials will be held back a year. It’s not like they just filled in the wrong oval.
*
“CPS officials say they discovered their mistakes after repeated questions from WBEZ and Catalyst Chicago Magazine about how capital cost-savings were calculated.”
Reporting!
Thank you, WBEZ, Catalyst and everyone else who has worked so hard to ferret out the facts. The work done on this and related issues in recent months has been an intense and amazing display of awesome journalism.
*
“A top CPS official said it’s ‘intuitive’ that closing buildings will save money.”
Well, it’s also intuitive that the Earth is flat. That’s why we go to school – to learn how to think critically and gain skills such as, oh, let’s just say math.
And something about history.
*
“It’s clearly something that will save us money. That’s indisputable,” he said.
Gee, where have I heard that before?
*
“The district’s press office allowed reporters to speak with him only on background, without printing his name.”
We’re going with David Miranda unless someone asks for a correction. It’s intuitive.
*
DAVID MIRANDA. DAVID MIRANDA. DAVID MIRANDA.
DAVID MIRANDA. DAVID MIRANDA. DAVID MIRANDA.
–
UPDATE 4:01 P.M.: I’m told it wasn’t David Miranda. But it was intuitive to think so. I think there’s a lesson there.
–
Today’s Must-Read
Tweeting Tom Ricketts: Funny and true.
–
Bonus Sports Tweets
Kane still has a job tho MT @dan_bernstein: Collins’ firing at Blackhawks’ behest. Gaffe brought old videos to lite & they wanted ties cut.
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) May 3, 2013
*
Blue-collar catcher MT @chicagomag: A.J. Pierzynski’s home in the DePaul neighborhood sells for $1.675 million: chi.mg/18hShkZ
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) May 3, 2013
*
If the #Bulls are a M*A*S*H unit, Derrick Rose needs Sidney Freedman.
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) May 3, 2013
–
The Week In Chicago Rock
Including Lydia Loveless, Slayer, Ribfest and Pitchfork.
Is Cable TV Recession-Proof
Illinois consumer coalition thinks so.
The Cook County Forest Preserve . . .
. . . Actually Has A Lot Of Cool Things Going On.
–
The Beachwood Tip Line: Intuitive.
Posted on May 3, 2013