Chicago’s First Elected School Board Takes Shape

Chicago’s first fully elected school board is taking shape after more than 1.1 million voters participated, with several close races awaiting final counts. Jessica Biggs, backed by the support-staff union SEIU and groups opposed to the Chicago Teachers Union, declared victory in the board president race. Preliminary results indicated the 20 district seats could be evenly split between CTU-endorsed and non-endorsed members. The costly, polarized campaign centered on union influence, school choice and charter schools. The new board will face declining enrollment and strained district finances, while Biggs will need to build coalitions among members with competing priorities.