Special interest groups are gearing up to spend what could ultimately amount to between $10 and $20 million to influence the future direction of Chicago’s public school system.
There are nearly two dozen new races for Chicagoans to keep track of across 20 districts and one district-wide school board president. Candidates, including the five for school board president, posted their second quarter fundraising totals on Friday.
Defense attorney Victor Henderson leads the fundraising Haul with $598,000 in cash on hand, the vast majority coming from self-funding.
Former appointed school board member Sendhil Revuluri has $216,000, current elected board member Jessica Biggs has $120,534, elected board member Jennifer Custer has $23,853, and Chicago Teachers Union operative Hilario Dominguez reported no funds on hand despite having an active campaign operation.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of money that is expected to be spent in this election. There are four big special interest groups that are ramping up to jump all in.
Illinois Network of Charter Schools reported it was sitting on nearly $4 million in the bank, and the Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Federation of Teachers, both led by Stacy Davis Gates, reported a little over $3 million collectively. Common Ground Collective, a left-of-center group led by businessman Michael Sacks, reported a little over $500,000, and Urban Institute, a centrist group led by former UNO Charter Operator Juan Rangel, reported $100,000.
All but CTU say they are currently evaluating who they will ultimately endorse.
The fundraising report comes as Chicago Public Schools has just come out with its proposal to close a more than $700 million budget gap by laying off hundreds of teachers. So, the school’s finances will be a huge factor here, and that involves the always tricky debate about school closings.
The candidates backed by CTU you would expect to take the hardest stance against any consolidation, but other candidates might take a different view. Chalkbeat Chicago editor Becky Vevea says this could become the flashpoint.
“This has become an issue that is a litmus test for candidates,” Vevea told NBC 5. “The reason that is part of the conversation is we’ve seen enrollment decline at CPS, when you lose students there’s questions about whether you have enough money to continue operating as many schools as are operating.”
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