Chicago School Board Report Card: Q3 2026

In the third quarter of 2026, the Chicago Board of Education took some noteworthy actions. Top of the list: the board passed a budget that included $150 million more in state funding than the state had planned to provide to Chicago Public Schools. It remains to be seen whether that money will materialize. The board also hired a chief lobbyist and banned CPS vendors from contributing to board members' campaigns.

This quarter's report card tracks the same metrics we've been using since launching the report card in 2025. To no one's surprise, public comment focused on the budget, which passed at the July board meeting.

Education researcher and consultant Adam Parrott-Sheffer prepared this analysis of school board conversations and decisions from July 1 to September 30, 2026. (Disclosures: Parrott-Sheffer works closely with Board Member Che "Rhymefest" Smith as a volunteer education advisor. He openly supports Jessica Biggs for president of Chicago's school board.) Board Rule intern Norah D'Cruze fact-checked key parts of the transcript coding.

Over the summer, board members' airtime rose to nearly 40%, while comments from parents and the public shrank from more than one-third in Q2 to just a quarter in Q3. A large number of special board meetings–which often go unnoticed by parents and the public--likely contributed to this shift.

Elections Prompt Board Members To Speak Up?

"Everyone is speaking more during election season," Parrott-Sheffer observed by email. His analysis showed that previously elected board members who are running to retain their seats spoke for about 50% more time than they had in previous quarters. Currently appointed board members now running for their seats doubled their speaking time. Perhaps most interesting of all, the appointed board members who are not running for re-election quadrupled their speaking time.

Bucking these trends are Board Members Norma Rios-Sierra and Ebony DeBerry, who haven't been big talkers at public board meetings. Their share of speaking time actually decreased from Q2 to Q3.

Board Members Jitu Brown and Michilla Blaise were this quarter's top speakers. Each of them spoke for a total of one hour across the quarter's public board meetings, including special meetings. Together, they accounted for one-third of all the critical comments spoken by board members. As a whole, the board continued to lean into critiques expressed as both statements and questions, but in Q3 they stepped up their comments and affirmations.

Campaign News Bites

President: The local podcast Victim or Villain, hosted by Sabha Abour, a political strategist and former chief of staff to Ald. Lamont Robinson, spills all the tea in local politics, including the race for school board president.

Candidate Victor Henderson sat down with Victim or Villain earlier this week to give his side of the story regarding allegations that he abused his sons when they were minors. Two weeks ago, candidate Jessica Biggs went on the show to discuss her time as principal of Burke Elementary and the circumstances that led to her firing.

District 2B: Daniel Basco suspended his campaign on October 11 and endorsed Kyna Lenhof.

District 5B: SEIU Illinois endorsed Anthony Hargrove.

Follow the money: Kate Armanini at the Chicago Tribune has the latest on campaign cash in the school board races, including Michael Sacks' recent $150,000 donation to Jessica Biggs.

To stay on top of the latest campaign filings, sign up for the Illinois Answers Project's Chicago school board campaign finance tracker.

Events

Campaign and election-related events of all kinds are rolling in thick and fast. You can send your upcoming events to maureen.boardrule@gmail.com.

Tonight! School Board Presidential Candidates Forum, sponsored by Chalkbeat, Hyde Park Herald, and South Side Weekly, doors 5:30; forum 6 p.m., Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.

Also tonight! Fundraiser for Ellen Sherratt (4A), 6-7:30 p.m., Happy Camper Wrigleyville, 3458 N. Clark St. RSVP here.

Also, also tonight! Good news: you don't have to go anywhere for this event. Tune in to WBEZ for an hour-long forum with the presidential candidates (recorded earlier the same day), 8-9 p.m. WBEZ 91.5 FM.

Thurs. October 15: A School Board That Works discussion, sponsored by A City That Works, 5-7 p.m., Goose Island Salt Shed Pub, 1221 W. Blackhawk St. RSVP here.

Thurs. October 15: Mix & Mingle with Hilario Dominguez, Jitu Brown and Michilla Blaise, 5-8 p.m. Soule Restaurant, 3615 W. Roosevelt Rd. Info and RSVP here.

Thurs. October 15: District 2B Candidate Forum, sponsored by Indivisible Lincoln Square, 6-8 p.m., Oakwood 83, 1959 W. Montrose Ave. RSVP here.

Fri. October 16: Presidential Candidate Forum, sponsored by the Parent Engagement Institute Chicago Coalition, 10 a.m. to noon, Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd.

Sat. October 17: School Board Candidate Forum, including candidates for president and districts 5A, 5B, 6A, 7A, 9A, sponsored by a host of organizations, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., BUILD, 5100 W. Harrison. Details and registration here.

Mon. October 19: Early voting opens in all 50 Chicago wards. Don't go in without the Board Rule voter guide handy!

Tues. October 20: CPS School Board 101, Zoom webinar sponsored by Teach Plus Illinois, Academy for Local Leadership, and the To & Through Project, 5 p.m. Register here.

And, looking ahead to life after Election Day, don't miss Pathways to Possibility: The State of Higher Education Summit, Thursday, November 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. Register here.