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School boards
The building for Acero Santiago in West Town is owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago but was put up for sale last summer. Since then, parents and teachers have been pushing CPS to take over the building.
After debate about when the first semester should end, the school board ultimately chose to adopt calendars in which the semester would end after winter break.
The end of Alma’s work no the search is the latest twist in a search process that began last spring and hasn’t yet produced a permanent CEO. Six elected board members are blaming the mayor’s office and its allies for ‘sabotaging’ the process.
Some school board members raised concerns about the first semester ending after winter break in the next two school years. Chicago Public Schools officials said their proposed calendar is an option preferred by most surveyed families.
The board will reopen applications from Feb. 2-9. The committee is charged with helping CPS implement its Black Student Success Plan, which is meant to boost academics and improve school climates for Black students.
The district is conducting an additional survey of students, parents, and staff after some school board members voiced concerns that the first semester ends after winter break for high school students.
2026 will bring fresh budget issues and school board elections in Chicago, while Illinois leaders may have to grapple with a significant loss in federal child care funding.
A survey of 1,361 Chicago adults, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, found lower awareness of the elected school board among younger people and those who identify as Black and Latino.
The Board of Education will vote later this month on whether to sell the former Bontemps, Henson, and Shedd elementary schools.
The Chicago Board of Education narrowed its search for CEO to two finalists. But after the names were leaked earlier this month, board members now say they are “reconsidering” and “recalibrating.”
The LEARN charter school network is appealing to the state a decision by North Chicago District 187 to close two schools it operates in the suburban community in 2027. That district is in the process of transitioning out of state oversight.
The two independently-run public schools announced earlier this year that they could no longer operate the high school campuses.
The agreement makes the payment contingent on receiving $552.4 million in surplus tax funds proposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Revuluri, a former teacher and instructional specialist who previously served as school board vice president under Mayor Lori Lightfoot, said he wants to run to help improve student achievement and “stand up to special interests.”
Illinois state law requires Chicago’s school board to have a noncitizen advisory board. But Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson hasn’t yet created one.
What is it like serving on a board of education? Here are 16 quotes from Chicago Public Schools’ 21-member partially-elected board that sum up the unpaid job.
Many students and union officials asked the school board for help to prevent a possible midyear closure of the South Side high school.
A new 21-member, partly-elected school board has navigated most of its core functions: picking a leader, approving contracts, and balancing a budget. Interviews with more than a dozen elected and appointed members provide a window into how this experiment in Chicago democracy is going so far.
The move comes two months after the school’s contract was renewed by the Chicago Board of Education and two years after it unveiled plans for a $22 million renovation.
In a potentially final bid to whip up support for its budget, CPS officials said the desire to reimburse the city for a much-debated pension payment and taking out a $200 million loan would result in cuts to schools and a credit downgrade for the district.