Meanwhile, Milwaukee Public Schools is seeking to recruit Chicago Public Schools teachers facing layoffs, holding a hiring event at a Wrigleyville hotel aimed at filling about 350 vacancies. Because Milwaukee does not require employees to live in the city or state, district officials said they hope to attract some displaced CPS educators.
"As long as a teacher is licensed in Ilinois we can transition that licensure over to Milwaukee in a couple applications," said Dominick Maniscalco, Milwaukee Public Schools' chief of human resources.
The hiring event drew a limited turnout. Among those attending was Valerie Scott, a retired CPS substitute teacher rather than one of the district's laid-off employees. She said she was offered a job.
"It will be quite an experience, a change. Chicago Public Schools not too stable, I don't know what is going to happen to that," Scott said.
RELATED: Teachers unions sue Cook County treasurer over school tax distributions
As hundreds of CPS teachers face layoffs, the district has said many could be rehired where staffing needs exist. The budget for the upcoming year includes plans to hire 950 additional special education teachers.
Milwaukee's recruitment effort comes ahead of the Chicago Board of Education's budget vote. CPS announced this week that it is removing midyear furloughs from the budget, assuming the district will receive additional tax-increment financing, or TIF, funding from the city.
"We definitely think that it's a step in the right direction. There's a lot of precedent for making budget assumptions in CPS' budget," school board member Jitu Brown said.
However, Chicago Teachers Union-backed board members have said they will not support the current budget unless it is amended to include an assumption that the district will receive additional funding from the state. CPS has said that approach is risky and unlikely to succeed.
Under state law, the city must provide TIF funding to CPS if it uses those funds to balance its own budget.
Brown said he does not believe the current budget has enough support to pass if it results in classroom staffing reductions.
"I don't think the votes are there to pass a budget that cuts teachers and teacher aides out of classrooms. I don't think the votes are there to pass that type of budget," Brown said.
CPS has said that if a budget is not approved at Thursday's meeting, the district will be unable to make payroll in August. The Chicago Teachers Union has questioned that claim.