Appellate Ruling Puts Chicago Schools on Brink of Closing

By Peter Schmidt

Public schools in Chicago were on the brink of closing late last week, after a federal judge was told he could not protect the district from being shut down for lack of funds.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled Nov. 10 that U.S. District Court Judge Charles P. Kocoras had overstepped his authority in keeping the district open despite an unbalanced budget.

The appellate-court decision effectively nullified a restraining order by Judge Kocoras blocking enforcement of a state law prohibiting the district from operating without a balanced budget approved by the...