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Chicagoans are headed to the polls to elect faculty board members for the primary time.
Ten seats representing 10 districts throughout town are being contested. The winners will be part of 11 different members appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former trainer and union organizer. In 2026, all 21 faculty board seats will probably be on the poll.
Tuesday’s election will finish 30 years of mayoral management within the nation’s fourth largest faculty district. It comes at a contentious time: CPS is in a interval of management turmoil marked by divisions over find out how to cowl prices at a time of expiring COVID assist and enrollment decline.
The make-up of the brand new board will form how the district solutions thorny questions on cash and its future course.
If extra union-aligned candidates win, the mayor may have a stable bloc of board members who aspect with his coverage visions, akin to avoiding faculty closures and doubtlessly taking out a mortgage to pay for upcoming prices.
Profitable faculty selection or charter-aligned candidates may imply a softer method to these colleges. These members additionally may very well be foils for the mayor’s agenda. Regardless of the election outcomes, mayoral appointees will make up a majority of the subsequent board.
A complete of 47 individuals filed to run to signify 10 geographic districts on the college board, however simply 31 made it on the poll. Candidates have staked out positions on faculty selection, taxes, and district management. And the marketing campaign has been distinguished by huge spending and sharp phrases over the function the lecturers union and schooling reform advocates have performed within the race.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you may discover out what district you’re in and search for the place to vote right here. Test again after the polls shut for up to date voting outcomes.
District 1: Far Northwest Facet, Irving Park
Two educators and moms with kids in Chicago Public Faculties — Jennifer Custer and Michelle N. Pierre — are vying to signify households and residents on Chicago’s Northwest Facet in District 1.
Each candidates raised greater than $100,000 of their bids to safe a seat on the board. Custer raised important quantities from labor unions, together with the Chicago Academics Union, which endorsed her candidacy. Pierre acquired backing from pro-school selection teams and benefited from spending by two tremendous PACs supporting faculty selection candidates.
In all, 43 colleges in District 1 serve 32,410 college students, most of whom are Hispanic and white. There’s one constitution faculty and one different faculty.
District 2: Rogers Park, Edgewater, Lincoln Sq., Albany Park
Overlaying town’s Far Northeast nook, District 2 drew 4 candidates with totally different visions for the way forward for Chicago’s colleges.
Bruce Leon, a retired human useful resource entrepreneur, has argued for a fiscally prudent method to working the college district, together with the attainable closure of severely under-enrolled campuses. In distinction, Ebony DeBerry, a former trainer and the CTU-backed candidate, has argued for extra funding within the metropolis’s colleges.
Kate Doyle, a former trainer and nonprofit cofounder, has tried to place herself as an independent-minded progressive candidate. CPS mother Maggie Cullerton Hooper, the daughter of former Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, can also be working on a progressive platform and says she can be the primary faculty board member with disabilities to hitch the college board.
Leon loaned himself greater than $500,000 to finance his marketing campaign, whereas DeBerry’s marketing campaign has been largely bankrolled by the lecturers union and its allies. Cullerton Hooper has raised greater than $181,000 and Doyle introduced in additional than $93,000.
District 2 serves 27,637 college students in 37 colleges, together with three magnets and three charters.
District 3: Logan Sq., Humboldt Park, Hermosa
Within the predominantly Latino District 3, two candidates with related backstories are going head-to-head. Each Carlos Rivas Jr. and Jason Dónes grew up in Chicago, graduated from coveted selective enrollment excessive colleges, and went on to work as educators by way of the Train for America program.
However the two males diverge on faculty selection. Rivas says he will probably be an unbiased board member dedicated to preserving the number of colleges that exist as we speak, together with constitution, magnet, and selective colleges. He has drawn monetary help from the Illinois Community of Constitution Faculties and one other pro-school selection group, and has acquired a slew of small-dollar donations.
Dónes says he’s a progressive candidate targeted on increasing faculty staffing and making certain curriculums are culturally related. He’s backed by the CTU and different unions, in addition to some native elected officers.
Dónes has raised greater than $300,000, largely from the lecturers union and its allies, whereas Rivas introduced in simply over $75,000. Nevertheless, tremendous PACs, which aren’t allowed to coordinate with candidates, spent greater than $280,000 in help of Rivas.
District 3 has a complete of 55 colleges serving 31,598 college students, with town’s highest price of bilingual college students. Space colleges embody 10 charters, two magnets, and 4 different colleges.
District 4: Lakeview, Lincoln Park
The district overlaying Chicago’s northern lakefront has six candidates working for varsity board – probably the most of any district.
Candidates are working to signify a 36-school district that’s principally white however has much more numerous colleges. Simply over a 3rd of CPS college students in District 4 are white, roughly one other third are Hispanic, just below 16% are Black, and eight.5% are Asian American. There are not any charters and a few dozen selective enrollment and magnet colleges.
Kimberly Brown is a advertising and marketing skilled and adjunct professor at two faculties. Andrew A. Davis is a former proprietor of a brokerage agency and former head of a state company targeted on larger schooling who now heads up an education-related nonprofit. Thomas Day is a veteran who’s an adjunct professor on the College of Chicago Harris College of Public Coverage. Carmen Gioiosa is a former CPS trainer and central workplace staffer who now teaches early childhood schooling at Nationwide Louis College. Ellen Rosenfeld is a former CPS trainer and at present works on household engagement for CPS. And Karen Zaccor is a retired CPS trainer and longtime group organizer who advocated for an elected faculty board.
Each candidate has kids who’re CPS college students or graduates.
Zaccor, who’s backed by the Chicago Academics Union, has raised virtually $236,000, probably the most of any District 4 candidate. Rosenfeld, who has been endorsed by a slew of state and native elected officers, has raised practically $187,000. The remainder of the candidates have raised practically $25,000 or much less.
District 5: West Facet, West Loop, Close to West Facet
Only one candidate – Aaron ‘Jitu’ Brown – is formally on the poll for District 5, which spans from the West Loop to Austin.
Brown is a longtime group organizer who has fought faculty closures and advocated for an elected faculty board. There are additionally two write-in candidates: Jousef Shkoukani and Kernetha Jones. Shkoukani is an lawyer who lives within the West Loop and runs an education-focused nonprofit based mostly in Michigan. Jones mentioned she is a former trainer. (Former candidate and present faculty board member Michillia Blaise’s identify will seem on the poll however votes for her gained’t be counted, as she withdrew from the race.)
The candidates are vying to signify a bit of town that has extra colleges — 105 — than some other district. 1 / 4 of those colleges are charters. About 57% of District 5 residents are Black, 19% are white, practically one other 19% are Hispanic, and three.4% are Asian American.
In District 5’s public colleges, 62% of scholars are Black, 5% white, virtually 28% Hispanic, and practically 3% Asian American.
Brown, who has been endorsed by the Chicago Academics Union, has raised practically $55,000. Jones and Shkoukani haven’t reported elevating cash.
District 6: Downtown, Bronzeville, Close to South Facet
4 candidates are in search of election in District 6: Jessica Biggs, a former CPS principal; Anusha Thotakura, coverage advocate; Andrew Smith, a finance supervisor; and write-in candidate Danielle Wallace, a nonprofit chief.
District 6 covers neighborhoods on town’s South Facet, akin to Englewood, Larger Grand Crossing, Woodlawn, and Hyde Park, and neighborhoods on town’s north aspect akin to Streeterville and River North.
The candidates raised virtually $460,000 in marketing campaign donations, in line with Chalkbeat’s current evaluation of marketing campaign finance disclosures. Thotakura raised probably the most: $360,000, with donations from the Chicago Academics Union in addition to native elected officers.
District 7: Pilsen, Little Village, Bridgeport, Brighton Park
Three candidates are within the race to signify District 7, which covers components of town’s South and Southwest sides.
Raquel Don is a CPS graduate and mother or father, former accountant, and present member of the Jones Faculty Prep Native College Council. Yesenia Lopez, a CPS graduate, is an government assistant for the Illinois Secretary of State and has labored in a number of state and federal campaigns. Eva A. Villalobos, additionally a CPS graduate, is a former accountant and mom of 4 kids who attend non-public colleges.
The district has 79 colleges with practically 45,000 college students – probably the most scholar enrollment of any faculty board district.
Of the three candidates, Lopez, who was endorsed by the Chicago Academics Union, has raised practically $167,000. Villalobos has raised practically $37,000, together with from City Heart PAC, led by former CPS CEO and mayoral candidate Paul Vallas. Don has collected practically $3,000.
District 8: Far Southwest Facet, Again of the Yards
Angel Guiterrez, a nonprofit guide, and Felix Ponce, a Chicago Public Faculties music trainer, each ran to signify households and college communities on Chicago’s Southwest Facet and a smaller sliver of the Loop. District 8 consists of neighborhoods like West Garden, Marquette Park, Ashburn, McKinley Park, and Bridgeport.
Ponce raised round $295,000, whereas Gutierrez introduced in about $86,000. Ponce acquired a big amount of cash from the Chicago Academics Union, which endorsed him within the election, and different contributions from state and native officers. Gutierrez acquired cash from the Illinois Community of Constitution Faculties. Two tremendous PACs supporting pro-school selection candidates additionally spent a minimum of $270,000 on unsolicited mail and adverts in help of Gutierrez.
District 9: Englewood, Roseland, Beverly, Morgan Park
In District 9, the candidates are Therese Boyle, a former longtime Chicago trainer; former faculty board member Miquel Lewis, the performing director of Cook dinner County Juvenile Probation and Court docket Companies; Lanetta Thomas, a U.S. Military veteran and group organizer in Roseland; and La’Mont Raymond Willians, chief of workers and common counsel to a Cook dinner County commissioner.
District 9 covers town’s south aspect in neighborhoods akin to Morgan Park, Roseland, Pullman, Beverly, Auburn-Greshman, and Englewood.
Candidates raised a mixed $108,000 for his or her campaigns, in line with a Chalkbeat evaluation of most up-to-date marketing campaign finance disclosures. Therese Boyle raised probably the most, with over $55,000 coming from her personal pocket, small donations, and loans. Miquel Lewis’ marketing campaign raised the second highest quantity, over $27,000. Two pro-school selection tremendous PACs additionally spent greater than $300,000 in help of Lewis, although by regulation they aren’t allowed to coordinate with candidates.
District 10: Hyde Park, South Shore, Woodlawn, Southeast Facet
In one of many metropolis’s most spread-out and socioeconomically numerous districts, 4 candidates are vying for the college board seat.
The Rev. Robert Jones, one of many starvation strikers who opposed the closure of Dyett Excessive College in 2015, acquired a big monetary and in-kind increase from the CTU. Nonprofit CEO Karin Norington-Reaves, the mom of a CPS scholar with a incapacity, received the backing of pro-school selection tremendous PACs and what she described as an “anti-CTU coalition” involved concerning the union’s rising affect. Schooling guide and former CPS principal Adam Parrott-Sheffer has aimed to invoice himself as an independent-minded candidate and the one one with each expertise as a CPS educator and kids attending the district. And rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith, who garnered endorsements from some high-profile elected officers, mentioned he can be a artistic change agent on the board.
In the meantime, a former CPS educator and lecturers union official, Rosita Chatonda, ran as a write-in candidate after petition challenges knocked her off the poll.
The roughly 90 district-run and constitution colleges serving 34,700 college students have among the many highest poverty charges on common. With each in style specialised packages and campuses which have struggled with quickly shrinking enrollment, the district captures the uneven scholar experiences in CPS.
Reema Amin is a reporter overlaying Chicago Public Faculties. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.
Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter overlaying Chicago Public Faculties. Contact Mila at mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org.
Samantha Smylie is the state schooling reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago overlaying faculty districts throughout the state, laws, particular schooling and the state board of schooling. Contact Samantha at ssmylie@chalkbeat.org.
Becky Vevea is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago. Contact Becky at bvevea@chalkbeat.org.
