Election’s over. What’s next for the Chicago School Board?

Voters have chosen the first 10 members of their elected Chicago Public Schools board. Amid a chaotic fall, here are answers to some common questions about what’s next for public education in Chicago.

Chicagoans elected the first 10 members of the Chicago Public Schools’ new 21-member school board on Nov. 5. The current board, consisting of just seven members, had been appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, as had been the practice since 1995.

Now Chicagoans are bracing themselves for what’s next.

The lead-up to the election was chaotic. Johnson wanted the district to take out a high-interest loan to bankroll the Chicago Teachers Union contract and a pension payment. But both CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and the school board rejected that plan, with Martinez labeling it “exorbitant” and fiscally irresponsible. Johnson retaliated by demanding Martinez resign. Martinez refused, and subsequently the entire school board resigned, leading 41 Chicago aldermen to write a letter stating the board resignations would bring “further instability” to the district.

Johnson then appointed seven new members, including Deborah Pope, a recent CTU employee who had participated in the union’s negotiations with the district. He appointed the  Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson as board president.

But within days of Rev. Johnson’s appointment, he came under fire for antisemitic statements he made following the terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Over half the city council and Gov. J.B. Pritzker called for the Rev. Johnson to step down, but Mayor Johnson initially came out in defense of his chosen school board president. Mayor Johnson then backtracked and called for the resignation of Rev. Johnson on Oct. 31, 2024, just one week after he took the office. Mayor Johnson has not indicated who will be chosen as board president.

Since then, perceived antisemitic positions by Pope and board member Olga Bautista have also come under scrutiny.

The election of new board members isn’t likely to calm things down anytime soon, as the district must still navigate the differences between Martinez and Johnson and negotiations with CTU, which is demanding a contract worth more than $10 billion thanks to excessive provisions. But here are answers to a few common questions as residents watch for what’s next.

What about the other 11 members?

For now, the CPS school board is a hybrid entity. Although 10 members were elected, the mayor will appoint the remaining 11 members, including the board president. That means Johnson – and his partners at the Chicago Teachers Union – retain a whole lot of power over the board.

Currently, the school district is divided into 10 school board districts, and voters elected one school board member from each district. Those 10 districts are also divided in two, with north and south halves. After the election, the mayor must appoint one member from each of those districts by Dec. 15. If an elected member comes from one half of a district, the appointed member must come from the other half. The board president can live anywhere in the city.

It remains to be seen whether Johnson will reappoint current members of the board or any of CTU’s failed candidates as part of those 11. The new board will take office in January 2025.

When will the board be fully elected?

For the next two years, the school board will remain a hybrid entity, with members serving a two-year term.

Then in November 2026, Chicago will be divided into 20 districts, with voters from within those districts electing a school board member to represent them. The 21st member – the board president – will be elected citywide.

Will the Illinois General Assembly give the City Council oversight of the CPS board in the meantime?

The Chicago City Council currently has no authority over the school board but is a “sister agency,” meaning there are separate boards and budgets. As such, school board members chosen by the mayor do not need city council confirmation.

But following the mass resignation and then renomination of the entire school board by Johnson, some city council members called for state lawmakers to grant some amount of oversight to the council. For example, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th Ward, has suggested the idea of a control board or independent arbitrator.

In addition, state Rep. Anne Williams, who sponsored the bill establishing the hybrid school board, said she was “shocked” by the school board’s sudden resignation and hinted at state involvement, as reported by WTTW. “The level of state oversight necessary for the district will be informed by the decisions made by the mayor and his administration in coming weeks and months,” she said.

One suggestion involves allowing the city council to vote on members chosen by the mayor. However, such a change would require state legislation, and no bill has yet been filed in the Illinois General Assembly. Even if a bill is filed and enacted, it would only affect the mayor’s nominations for the next two years, until the school board is fully elected.

With questions still looming, one thing is certain: the students and families within CPS need stability. Mayor Johnson needs to prioritize what’s best for the district over the wishes of his CTU and board member allies.