Chicago School Board Votes to Remove Police Officers from Schools

The Chicago Board of Education made a significant decision on Thursday, February 22, 2024, to end its contract with the Chicago Police Department and remove uniformed officers from the city’s schools. The vote came after an eight-hour-long school board meeting where teachers, students, and elected city officials spoke.

The debate on whether to keep police officers in the 39 city schools where they continue to patrol, out of 634 schools, has been ongoing since police were assigned to protect the schools in 1991. Some students argued that police in the schools scare them, while supporters of removing police from schools claimed that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer. Instead, they suggested that the money spent on police patrols could be better spent on alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions.

Opponents of removing police from schools argued that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The Chicago Public Schools and Police Department announced that they would present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it would go into effect next school year.

The board also stated in the letter obtained by FOX 32 in Chicago that many schools would still employ physical safety personnel like security guards at points of entry, and crossing guards and Safe Passage workers to ensure students could get to and from school safely. Some schools would also continue to use physical security tools such as security cameras or metal detectors. Furthermore, each school would maintain a relationship with their local Chicago Police Department ‘School Sergeant,’ a position assigned to each police district to provide safety support to schools.

The funding used for uniformed officers in schools would be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more.

Earlier in January, the Chicago Board of Education was reportedly seeking to strip Local School Councils of their power to choose whether to have SROs at their schools. After taking the decision away from local councils, the board will remove all officers from school grounds. The Illinois Policy Institute, a think tank that tracks policy decisions in the state, stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020 amid the George Floyd protests, supported the decision.

Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips and can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over the summer, and if approved, it will go into effect next school year. The funding used for uniformed officers in schools will be reallocated for alternative safety positions, resources, and interventions, such as restorative justice coordinators, youth intervention specialists, wrap-around supports and mentoring programs, and more. The Illinois Policy Institute stated that Local School Councils already had the power to remove officers but that district leaders were taking away that local control. The Chicago Teachers Union, which advocated for police officers to be removed from schools in 2020, supported the decision. Some schools opted to remove officers from their premises in 2020, while others, like William Taft Howard High School, voted to keep them. William Howard Taft High School is one of 151 high schools in CPS and serves over 4,000 students. CPS presides over 646 schools and 300,000 students.

The Chicago Board of Education’s decision to remove police officers from schools has sparked a heated debate among Chicago residents. Some argue that officers targeted minorities and did not make schools safer, while others claim that officers made the schools safer and that it should be up to individual schools to decide whether to have uniformed police on the premises. The board plans to present the official plan to board members for final approval over