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Chicago Public Schools

Tuition for Special Education Private Programs (Special Education - Non-Public Tuition)

$66.7 million

Exact amount: $66,654,450.00

FY2026 (July 2025–June 2026)

Plain words: when a student's plan (IEP) says no CPS school can serve them, CPS pays a private school's tuition. The boxes are FY2026 vendor payments to private schools whose own pages or ISBE listings say they are approved for special education (together $40,051,290). Payments are by vendor, not by budget line, so this is a partial match and the boxes can include other contracts. Left out on purpose: Pathways in Education and Ombudsman (CPS alternative high schools with their own budgets) and Camelot (alternative safe school contracts).

The money goes to a few large companies, and CPS publishes what each was paid but not which budget line it came from.

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Pick a rectangle to see what is inside it. Rectangle area shows positive amounts; the complete list includes reductions and tiny amounts.

Where the positive amounts goEach rectangle’s area is proportional to its amount. Select a region to open its box; the list below includes every amount.
Tuition budgeted but not matched to a payment shown here, $26,603,160.16, open this boxTuition budgeted but not matched to a payment shown here$26.6 millionMenta Academy (Special Education Services): paid so far, $14,671,644.13, open this boxMenta Academy (Special Educat…$14.7 millionEasterseals Academy (Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago): paid so far, $6,209,757.80, open this boxEasterseals Academy (Easter S…$6.2 millionSonia Shankman Orthogenic School: paid so far, $4,544,961.95, open this boxSonia Shankman Ortho…$4.5 millionThe Cove School: paid so far, $2,749,151.80, open this boxThe Cove School:…$2.7 millionLawrence Hall Therapeutic Day School: paid so far, $2,426,391.71, open this boxLawrence Hall Th…$2.4 millionElim Christian School: paid so far, $2,150,377.46, open this boxElim Christian S…$2.2 millionNew Horizon Center: paid so far, $1,844,038.39, open this boxNew Horizon C…$1.8 millionRedwood Schools (Everstone Day School): paid so far, $1,817,534.15, open this boxRedwood…Acacia Academy: paid so far, $1,339,959.82, open this boxAcacia Academy: paid…$1.3 millionShrub Oak International School (New York): paid so far, $1,255,033.88, open this boxShrub Oak…Soaring Eagle Academy: paid so far, $1,042,438.75, open this box

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All items

Percentages of Tuition for Special Education Private Programs (Special Education - Non-Public Tuition)
BoxAmount% of this budget
Tuition budgeted but not matched to a payment shown here · Leftover$26,603,160.1639.9%
Menta Academy (Special Education Services): paid so far · Paid so far$14,671,644.1322.0%
Easterseals Academy (Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago): paid so far · Paid so far$6,209,757.809.3%
Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School: paid so far · Paid so far$4,544,961.956.8%
The Cove School: paid so far · Paid so far$2,749,151.804.1%
Lawrence Hall Therapeutic Day School: paid so far · Paid so far$2,426,391.713.6%
Elim Christian School: paid so far · Paid so far$2,150,377.463.2%
New Horizon Center: paid so far · Paid so far$1,844,038.392.8%
Redwood Schools (Everstone Day School): paid so far · Paid so far$1,817,534.152.7%
Acacia Academy: paid so far · Paid so far$1,339,959.822.0%
Shrub Oak International School (New York): paid so far · Paid so far$1,255,033.881.9%
Soaring Eagle Academy: paid so far · Paid so far$1,042,438.751.6%

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