Five of Chicago’s elected school board candidates are leaving the race after their petitions to get on the Nov. 5th ballot were challenged. Some candidates are still in the process to see if they will make it to the fall election.

The district is adjusting bell times and creating transportation hubs in order to provide busing to more students.

The budget plan, which closed a $505 million deficit, faced pushback from school communities, the teachers union, and even the mayor’s office.

State officials acknowledged that some students still have commutes over an hour, but said they believe the district has made ‘sufficient progress.’

The location shift comes after the board’s regular meeting room was damaged by a water leak in a neighboring business.

District leadership has balked at the idea, saying a loan ‘only shifts the problem’ to future years.

The new board — which will have 10 elected members and 11 appointed ones before becoming a fully elected board in 2027 — will require a number of adjustments for the district.

The new study from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research comes ahead of a July school board vote to remove police from all schools.

The school board would fill vacancies – but a write-in candidate could also snag a spot.

At least three dozen people have shown interest in running for Chicago’s elected school board. Candidates must now submit official paperwork to get on the November ballot.