The Chicago Public Schools budget has been a contentious issue for months, and it is now coming down to the end — with the Chicago Board of Education required to pass a spending plan by the end of the week.

A vote on the budget is set for Thursday.

With the school district at odds with the Chicago Teachers Union and its allies on which budget plan to pass, there has been no shortage of last-minute lobbying and jockeying.

The teachers' union singled out board members who support the budget proposal laid out by CPS Interim superintendent and chief executive officer Dr. Macquline King — which does not require a loan.

Meanwhile, robo-texts circulated by The Urban Center — a so-called voice for the centrist movement — are critical of the board members who are in favor of borrowing money to close the massive budget deficit.

"We don't think it's a responsible decision for the school district to take that payment on right now, much less to borrow under a high-interest loan in order to do it," said Jessica Handy, executive director of Stand for Children Illinois.

Stand for Children, a nonprofit advocating for equitable funding and resources in schools, is urging the board to vote against a budget that includes borrowing money to close the massive deficit — which includes $175 million for pension payments.

"This is not an expenditure that CPS should be paying in the first place," Handy said. "This is an expenditure that the city should be paying according to state law."

The nearly $10 billion CPS budget proposal involves laying off cafeteria workers and central office workers, but avoids cuts to classrooms.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Teachers Union, and the union's allies all support a budget that includes borrowing in the form of a high-interest short-term loan.

"We need our Board of Ed to know further cuts are unacceptable, and we call on them to say no to cuts tomorrow," said CPS teacher Eric Branholm.

For those critical of a loan, CTU president Stacy Davis Gates said the union has been warning of CPS' financial woes.

"I say bullsh** on the criticism," Davis Gates said. "Is any of these budgeting schemes comfortable, or the thing that we want? No, but you all didn't all hear us when we were screaming an SOS since 2011."

King explained why she opposes the loan backed by the mayor, saying it would put the district deeper in debt.

"There are some financial consequences that we would be subjected to as a result of a loan," she said, "And that's what the budget that's proposed does; it provides structural changes that allows CPS to have savings in future budgets down the road."

In a statement, CPS reiterated while its proposed budget does require cuts, it avoids cuts directly to the classroom.

It is unclear what will happen if a budget is not passed.

"If the budget wasn't passed schools wouldn't be able to operate normally. However, we have no precedence for that. So I feel confident that out 21 member board will pass a budget today," King said. "I think that all of the board members, we all want the same thing, right? We want what's best for children. I think our approach is different, and so the budget I proposed as opposed to what may be a counter to that budget, may not necessarily be the same, but I think ultimately we all want what's best for children."

Ahead of the budget vote, Mayor Johnson this week filled a seat on the Chicago Board of Education that has been vacant for the past two months. Ángel Vélez is a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant and lives in the West Englewood neighborhood, according to Chalkbeat.