Chicago Mayor Shakes Up School Board Amid Budget Crisis

On Monday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a completely new group of board members for the city’s public schools. This decision comes after all his previous appointees agreed to step down due to rising tensions over budget issues.

“I was elected to fight, and fight I am,” said Johnson, who is in his first term as mayor and has a background as a Chicago Teachers Union organizer. He made the announcement at a press conference in a South Side church.

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The decision to replace all seven board members has raised concerns among city council members, local business leaders, and watchdog organizations. Chicago Public Schools serves over 320,000 students, making it one of the largest school districts in the country.

Tensions between the teachers union and the school district have been high for years, driven by fights over resources, declining student enrollment, and the threat of school closures. Johnson’s election in early 2023, supported by teachers union organizers, led many to question how much influence this group would have in the mayor’s office.

The rapid change in the school board is a strong sign of the teachers union’s influence, especially as they negotiate a new five-year contract with the district. Negotiations have become tense after the last contract expired in June. There were also reports that Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez rejected Johnson’s suggestion for a short-term loan to cover rising salary and pension costs. Martinez, who was appointed by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, defended his decision to turn down the loan in an opinion piece and stated that he would not resign at Johnson’s request.

Joe Ferguson, president of the watchdog group The Civic Federation, said the unilateral decision to overhaul the board raises serious questions about governance.

This shake-up comes just as the school district prepares to transition from a seven-member board appointed by the mayor to a 21-member board, with ten members to be elected in November and eleven to be appointed by the mayor for now. The full transition to an elected board is expected to be completed by 2027.