In Chicago, principals are charged with creating school budgets that meet the needs of their school communities. This can be a challenging – and time consuming – task.

This report features four case studies on the innovative budgeting practices of principals in district-operated schools. Each principal also shared a tool that they use in their budgeting process for other school leaders to adapt to their individual school needs. These case studies are meant to serve as a guide to help principals find a way to build flexibility into their budgets, increase student voice and create a stronger sense of community.

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This report is the third in our series on budgets in Chicago public schools. We also released a report on Equity and School Funding in Chicago Public Schools and a video that gives a high-level overview of the district’s budget and funding methodologies.