Chicago has voted for its first ever elected school board, but as of 6am Wednesday three of the 10 districts had not yet been called.
Why it matters: Chicago’s school board oversees the fourth largest school district in the country and its $9 billion budget. The board also hires the district CEO, establishes essential district policies and determines the school calendar.
Caveat: The board is only partially elected for now. Mayor Brandon Johnson will appoint the other 10 members, one from each district, and the board president.
The 21-member board will start in January and faces a looming budget gap, a CEO at odds with the mayor and an unsettled teachers union contract.
The latest: Johnson’s 2025 budget rolled out last week includes about $311 million in TIF surplus for CPS this coming year, but that does not cover the district’s shortfall.
- CPS still has to fund the much-debated $175 million in non-teacher pension payments.
Zoom in: Campaign spending on historic races reached about $7 million, Chalkbeat reported, with support roughly breaking down to candidates backed by school choice and charter school proponents (INCS Action PAC and Urban Center Action) versus Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) endorsed candidates.