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The Chicago Board of Education is reopening its application for joining the district’s Black Student Achievement Committee, the board office announced Wednesday.
The board had originally opened applications in late November with a deadline to apply by Dec. 15, 2025.
The application will be reopened Feb. 2 with a deadline of Feb. 9 “to ensure that all key stakeholder groups have a fair and accessible opportunity to apply following the holiday season,” said Shelia Pegues-Porter, board communications manager, in an email. Chicago residents, including students, parents, and CPS employees, can apply to serve a 1-year term on the committee.
The new application window comes as advocates have expressed concern about the delay in establishing the committee, which was officially launched last April and is required by state law.
The board office did not say how many applications it has received so far.
The Black Student Achievement Committee is supposed to help the district implement its Black Student Success Plan, which focuses on boosting the share of Black teachers, reducing Black student suspensions, and implementing more culturally relevant lessons in schools.
The plan, released last February, faced an immediate legal challenge and investigation from the Trump administration, which has opposed diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Trump officials say CPS’ efforts to focus on Black students violates other students’ civil rights, which CPS has denied. The Trump administration has also said it will withhold millions of dollars in magnet school grants if the district forges ahead with the plan. CPS has defended its efforts and says it will not shelve the plan.
The committee will have 14 seats. As of last month, the board had sent about 500 applications to people interested in joining the committee, according to elected school board member Jitu Brown, who will chair the committee.
Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.
