# October Waiver Application Hearing

Chicago Public Schools held an Illinois School Code waiver application public hearing on October 23, 2026. CPS requested authorization to apply to the Illinois State Board of Education to renew, for five years through June 2032, a waiver that permits full-day school improvement and teacher training days using banked instructional minutes. CPS said the waiver has been in use since 2012 and that the current approval expires June 30, 2027. Renewal would preserve uninterrupted time for educator training and planning while meeting state instructional-time requirements; without it, CPS would need to revise the already approved 2027–28 academic calendar.

CPS stated that renewing the waiver would involve no additional costs. The application would proceed to the state board and then require legislative approval. The hearing included one public commenter who raised educator hiring and onboarding concerns, but those comments were unrelated to the waiver. No vote or procurement action was reported; the presentation concluded without questions.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Education
**Published:** October 23, 2026

### Sources
- [October Waiver Application Hearing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSXzC2CGrzE) - Chicago Public Schools