​This commentary from @jennicuster published in the Tribune should be the end of her bid to become president of the Board of Education. In her guest piece, Custer absurdly insists CPS’ $732M deficit is the result of delayed property tax bills. Unmentioned in Custer’s opinion piece is the staggering costs associated with underutilized or underenrolled CPS schools, and how CTU blocks the closure or consolidation of these schools. Custer also omits how Chicago concluded an unaffordable $1.6 billion contract negotiated with the CTU. Custer doesn’t mention the costs surrounding 9,000 additional CPS employees — all unneeded — hired with one-time COVID assistance. Custer disregards how CPS employs over 22,000 in non-teaching roles. All of this adds up to bureaucratic bloat Custer ignores. Why is Jennifer Custer running for BOE president if she cannot identify the real problems at CPS?