Chicago’s first school board election sees pro-choice groups rake in millions in donations: report

Two groups supporting school choice and charter schools have raised more than $3 million in donations combined ahead of Chicago’s first school board election in November, the Chicago Sun Times reported. Chicago’s inaugural school board election will come after a 2021 law required an elected school board for the city.

The independent expenditure committees of Urban Center Action (UCA) and Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) have “raised $3.6 million” between them from business leaders and billionaires. The two groups have reportedly criticized the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) in the past.

The UCA and INCS set up independent expenditure committees to accept cash donations, like PACs, the Sun Times reported. These types of committees cannot coordinate directly with candidates. They can accept an unlimited amount of money and indirectly support candidates’ campaigns by sending out flyers and running ads.

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Two groups that support school choice and charter schools have raised more than $3 million in donations combined ahead of Chicago’s first school board election in November, the Chicago Sun Times reported. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In addition to having independent expenditure committees, the two groups also have traditional political action committees (PACs), which have a limit on the amount of donations they can receive. Unlike independent expenditure committees, PACs can be used to donate directly to candidates.

Juan Rangel, founder of UCA, told the Sun Times that they will support candidates who are “independent thinkers” and “make sure there is a balanced debate.” Rangel was the former president of UNO Charter School Network Inc.

According to the Sun Times, “While the groups have not yet reported any spending on the school board, their coffers represent by far the largest expected infusion of money to support and oppose candidates.”

Additionally, the paper reports that state election records show UCA received $671,000 in donations in less than two months and that INCS currently has $3 million. INCS reported a $100,000 donation from Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings.

“It’s more than six times the money the 32 candidates have contributed to their election campaigns and 20 times more than what the teachers union’s political action committees reported having at the end of June,” the outlet reported.

INCS President Andrew Broy told The Sun Times he intends to be involved in most school board races and will invest money in state House races.

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

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“We will certainly invest substantial resources in … people who, first, put student impact at the center of their agenda; second, understand our policy priorities; third, are reasonable and collaborative people to work with as a matter of policy; and who can work with 20 other board members,” Broy told the Sun Times.

School board candidates filed to fill 10 vacant seats on the Chicago Board of Education. The board is made up of 21 members. Mayor Brandon Johnson Will appoint the remaining seats.

The historic school board elections are being held for the first time in history after a 2021 law required Chicago’s school board to be elected. The law stipulates that 10 of the board’s 21 members would be elected, while 11, including the president, would be appointed by Mayor Johnson.

Chicago’s first elected school board members would serve four-year terms. When the next mayoral election is held in 2026, voters will be able to choose the appointed seats to create a fully elected board in January 2027.

The CTU has been fighting for an elected school board. The union published his support of 10 candidates in June.

The Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) tracks policy decisions taking place in the state.

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Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates, left, meets with Mayor Brandon Johnson as she arrives at the Legler Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library to read to students at Genevieve Melody STEM Elementary School on Feb. 7, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“CTU’s political power is at stake in this election,” Austin Berg, IPI’s vice president of marketing, told Fox News Digital.

He further explained to Fox News Digital: “The union’s efforts could either secure full control of the school district by electing its political representatives alongside Brandon Johnson or they could face a greater threat to the implementation of their radical policies. Other vested political interests could enter this fight as a means to disrupt CTU and Johnson.”

The Chicago school board had previously supported Remove the police from schoolsThe board also previously approved a resolution that “moves away from a model that emphasizes school choice to one that elevates our neighborhood schools to ensure each and every student has access to a high-quality educational experience.”

The CTU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.