CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Barbara Byrd-Bennett has resigned amid a federal probe into a contract the district awarded to her previous employer, the mayor's office said on Monday. "I am saddened by the circumstances that have led to Barbara's resignation and I wish her well," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.
Byrd-Bennett took a leave of absence in April. Her contract had been set to expire on June 30.
"As a city, our focus must remain on finishing the school year strong and tackling the billion-dollar budget deficit that threatens the progress our students, teachers, principals and parents have made over the last several years," Emanuel said.
Federal authorities are investigating a $20.5 million no-bid contract the district awarded to SUPES Academy , a training facility for principals that had employed Byrd-Bennett.
Emanuel appointed Byrd-Bennett to head the nation's third-largest public school system in 2012. The financially troubled system, which serves 400,000 students, faces a prospective $1.1 billion deficit.
