Voters elect first Chicago School Board in historic race

Three candidates vie for District 5a seat

Three residents are competing for the District 5a Chicago School Board seat. District 5a covers Austin, Humboldt Park, West Town and Montclare.

Other districts across the city also face contested races and single-candidate ballots. Rosenfeld is the sole candidate for District 4b, which includes parts of North Center, Lincoln Park, Logan Square and Lakeview.

District 6b includes the Loop, Near South Side, Douglas, Woodlawn, Englewood, Fuller Park, Hyde Park, Greater Grand Crossing, Grand Boulevard and Washington Park. Emma Lozana and Jesus Ayala Jr. are the candidates for District 7a, covering the Near West Side, South Lawndale, Lower West Side, Archer Heights and Garfield Ridge.

Gutierrez is the only listed candidate for District 8a, which includes Clearing, Ashburn, Garfield Ridge, West Lawn, Chicago Lawn and West Elsdon. Gonzalez is the ballot candidate for District 8b, while Angeles is running as a write-in candidate for that seat.

School choice and enrollment define District 5a race

The District 5a race centers on the issues of school choice and declining enrollment. This contest holds significance for Austin and several West Side communities.

Brown’s history as education organizer

Incumbent Aaron "Jitu" Brown is a longtime education organizer in Chicago. He earned recognition for his work on community campaigns regarding neighborhood education resources and public school closures.

Citywide presidency candidates outline competing visions

Jessica Biggs, a former CPS principal and current school board member, advocates for improved reading and math instruction, increased district funding, and effective spending. She supports multiple school types and opposes automatic property tax levy increases. The Service Employees International Union supports her campaign.

He advocates for universal full-day preschool for three-year-olds, maximizing the property tax levy, and expanding community schools.

Victor Henderson, an attorney and former CPA, focuses on academic achievement, financial oversight, and student safety. He emphasizes reading and math proficiency, graduation rates, and accountability through a system that assigns ratings to individual schools. He supports maintaining different types of public schools and opposes automatic property tax increases.

The Archdiocese of Chicago School Board, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, provides information and services for Catholic schools, including academic support and search tools for elementary and high schools.

New board to manage budget and policy

The newly elected board will manage the district’s budget, including decisions on spending, potential property tax increases, and resource allocation.

Members will oversee policies regarding student transportation, special education, school safety, and early childhood education.

Political spending reflects governance debate

This spending reflects competing views on school governance.

Chicago school board districts consist of 10 geographic areas. Each area is divided into two voting districts, labeled A and B, and voters cast ballots only for the representative of their assigned district.