Mila Koumpilova

Mila Koumpilova is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat Chicago, where she covers Chicago Public Schools.

Kelly Kennard, right, a volunteer with Friends of Kenwood Academy, jokes with co-workers while setting up their booth before the start of eighth grade graduation at the school on June 1, 2026, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

Why more Chicago schools lean on dollars they raise independently amid budget crunch

June 22, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

As CPS grapples with a massive structural deficit, more schools have leaned on private fundraising to pay for essentials.

Curie Metropolitan High School Principal Allison Tingwall with one of the bags of mementos being put together for graduating seniors on June 5, 2020.

Pandemic learning: How one Chicago high school reeled in nearly 2,800 students

June 16, 2020 at 7:40 a.m.

Allison Tingwall bangs on the door of a Chicago Lawn house, curtains drawn on all windows. Her face cloaked by a black mask, the Curie Metropolitan High School principal steps...

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