Rocky path ahead as Chicago set to get elected school board

SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — After decades of organizing by parents, activists and unions, Chicago is on the verge of having a fully-elected school board for the first time in its history.

A proposal awaiting Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature phases out a seven-member board of mayoral appointees for an elected panel triple the size by 2027. With the shift, Chicago would join most U.S. cities in having an elected board, which supporters say is critical for equity in a district where most of the roughly 350,000 students are low income and of color.

However, the Chicago plan has prompted backlash, even from supporters, and disagreement over what’s next, previewing what the third- largest U.S. city can expect in the transition.

“It’ll be a little messy, but it will demonstrate a real step forward for all students and families,” said Rep. Delia Ramirez, a Chicago Democrat who championed the bill.

Going from an appointed to elected board is uncommon, leaving Chicago without a clear roadmap.

Lawmakers must tackle the politically charged mapmaking process for the elected districts, while government watchdogs seek campaign finance limits. And some want legislation allowing immigrants without legal permission to live in the county to vote for school leaders.

Chicago’s Board of Education — which passes an $8 billion budget, confirms a CEO and approves contracts and policies — was created by the Legislature in 1872. After many versions, a seven-mem- ber board was instituted in 1999.

to create an affidavit to help non-citizens register to vote for school board. But county clerks say that could leave room for error in other con- tests.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot — who campaigned on an elected board in 2019 but stands to lose control of a rubber stamp board if she’s reelected — has

emerged as a vocal opponent of the bill. She calls 21 mem- bers “unwieldy.”

Supporters say 21 people better represents a diverse city, but some experts fear inefficiency. The typical num- ber is seven, according to the NSBA. In New York, the nation’s largest district, the mayor and borough presi-

dents appoint a panel of 15. “There is so much potential for non-substantive conflict,” said Michael Ford a professor

of public administration at the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh. “It is setting Chicago up to have an incred- ibly politicized and incredibly fragmented electoral process.”

Among the most critical steps is mapmaking, said University of Illinois at Chicago education professor Pauline Lipman. Legislators must ensure equality by race and neighborhood.

“Chicago has never had democracy in public educa- tion,” she said. “There should be a community process for

discussing how the districts are drawn so the spirit of this demand can be met.”

Still, turnout for school board races is typically low. Experts say that gives

organized groups like the Chicago Teachers Union, which calls mayoral control an “unmitigated disaster,” an edge.

The fight for an elected board began shortly after, as parents and activists felt their concerns weren’t heard.

Poll-style city ballot ques- tions showed overwhelming support for elected boards, including in 2015. That was two years after then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who sought more privately run, publicly funded charter schools, moved to close an unprece- dented roughly 50 schools.

Activists say an appointed board in Chicago, where roughly 60% of its 3 million residents are Black and Latino, is racist. A 2018 National School Boards Association survey shows about 90% of school boards are elected.

“People talk racial justice, they don’t want to walk it,” said Shannon Bennett of the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization. “It is very easy to call people marching with tiki torches racist. To deny people the right to vote is the same voter repression that everyone wants to get all up in arms about.”

His organization has fought for elected boards but rejects the proposal’s timeline.

The shift would start in November 2024, with 10 elected members and 11 may- oral appointees, including board president. Two years later, voters would have say in all 21 races. Serving four- year terms, members would- n’t be paid.

Parent and activist Jitu Brown said school closures and other policies have dis- proportionately affected minorities and contributed to Black residents leaving. There are also fewer Black teachers, whom he wants as role models for his son. In 2000, about 40% of district teachers were Black, which has dropped to 20%, accord- ing to district data.

“To subject Chicago stu- dents to six more years of mayoral control opens the door to really immeasurable levels of harm,” he said.

Activists’ push for equity also includes giving immi- grants without legal status a voice.

One proposal would require the State Board of Education to create an affidavit to help non-citizens register to vote for school board. But county clerks say that could leave room for error in other con- tests.