CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Public School students will begin their first day of the new school year Monday.

Mayor Brandon Johnson and CPS interim CEO Macquline King will officially ring in the new year at a school in Uptown.

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Over the last few weeks, community organizers have helped get kids ready for the year with back-to-school giveaways, handing out free back packs and supplies.

This comes as CPS gets ready to open its doors with a nearly billion-dollar budget deficit on its back, threatening cuts to student services as families continue to face higher prices for everyday needs on top of other mounting economic challenges.

Still, Chicago families said, they can’t wait to send their kids back to school.

“If we don’t do it, it won’t get done,” ChiGivesBack co-founder John Boddie said. There are budget cuts that are happening. We try to make sure that we’re not operating in a silo but we want to make sure that all the resources that we have that we received that we give it right back to the community.”

I am very excited because now my kids can get out of the house and go to school,” parent Ohjay Lamont said. It’s back to school. Go back to school. Please kids, do something. Summer is over.”