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Quote/Term of the Week
“Things are not okay. I don't know if you guys are getting reports or hearing that things are okay, but they are not. The situation is growing from bad to worse.”
— Trumaine Reeves, executive vice president of SEIU Local 73, speaking on behalf of Chicago Public Schools custodians who have said they are doing double their usual workloads because of custodian staffing shortages across 50 schools.
[Chicago Board of Education, Sept. 24, 2026]
Chicago is a [clean] union town
Chicago Public Schools budget cuts have big impacts on students, teachers and staff. In this case, it’s our school custodians feeling the strain.
During a recent Chicago Board of Education meeting, Trumaine Reeves, executive vice president of SEIU Local 73, took the mic to speak on behalf of CPS custodians who say their superiors are pressuring them to work extra, unpaid hours in order to complete additional work. Custodians are getting double the workload in an eight-hour shift due to staffing shortages of around 400 to 600 custodians across the district and the elimination of overtime, Reeves said.
Custodians claim they are being threatened by managers with discipline or low evaluation ratings if they are unable to complete the extra work during their shifts, Reeves said. Custodians at more than 50 schools across the district have reported this taking place, and SEIU Local 73 is actively seeking more data to provide further context.
In response to these reports, SEIU Local 73 is asking the Board of Education and CPS to:
Immediately stop the increased workloads.
Stop any threats of disciplinary action or negative performance reviews based on not completing extra work.
Pause any performance evaluations for custodians until the district can fully staff these workers across schools.
The union also requested several written plans from the district, including one that prioritizes cleaning needs based on current staffing levels, a plan to document total square footage of their workload on custodians’ workload assignments, and a plan to condemn and ban any abuse of authority from supervisors.
This issue of custodial staffing shortages and the subsequent decrease of cleanliness in CPS schools is both ongoing and widespread.
Last year, after cutting nearly 500 custodial positions — one-fifth of full-time staffers — and ending all private custodial contracts, school principals and custodians reported there were not enough custodians to adequately clean their schools.
Cleanliness in schools is not merely a matter of aesthetics. Studies show clear links between school cleanliness and air quality with student health, attendance and learning success.
Budget cuts and financial woes will continue to be a reality for Chicago Public Schools. A main role of the Board of Education is overseeing the district’s finances.
As Chicago approaches a historic transition with the city moving to a fully elected Board of Education for the first time, voters will have the power to decide who makes those financial decisions.
Chicago Board of Education by Ethan Mathews
What you can do:
Elections for the Chicago Board of Education begin this week: The ballot will include 20 council members (one representative for each of the 20 school board districts) and one at-large board president. Eligible Chicago voters will cast two votes – one for the council member representing their district and one for the president. Early voting begins Oct. 1, with the final day to vote on Nov. 3.
Get resources & learn more: Follow Raise Your Hand for ways to engage with the BOE election along with other education-related resources.
Make your voice heard before Chicago’s school board: Want to address the board members directly? Read how you can give public comment at a BOE meeting here.
A version of this story was first published in the September 30, 2026 issue of the Newswire, an email newsletter that is your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what we can do to make our city great. You can sign up for the weekly newsletter here.
Have thoughts on what you'd like to see in this feature? Email Civic Editor Dawn Rhodes at dawn@citybureau.org.