Chicago Elected School Board Legislation Passes House

April 16, 2021 - SPRINGFIELD, Ill.

Chicago residents and parents of Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) students will be able to vote for their representatives on the public school board under legislation sponsored by State Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, which passed through the Illinois House of Representatives yesterday.

“HB 2908 creates an elected and representative school board for CPS, putting the district in line with every other public school district in the state which gets to elect school board members. Chicago parents deserve to have a say in who represents them and their children’s interests, on the city’s school board,” Ramirez said.

“School boards are a critical part of our education system and should be transparent and open to public input. For too long, CPS parents have not had a voice in the process as mayoral-appointed school boards unilaterally closed schools, increased classroom sizes, and eliminated vital related services that destabilized communities. Educators and parents have been working towards this policy parity for years now. The data shows that the overwhelming majority of our families favor an elected school board and the democratic thing to do is make that happen.”

The bill now goes to the Illinois Senate for further deliberation between legislators and local stakeholders. Rep. Ramirez urges swift passage so that the families and children served by CPS can finally have a fair say in how their schools are run.

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