Chicago’s First Elected School Board Race Sees Millions Raised by Pro-School Choice Groups

Independent expenditure committees back charter school advocates in landmark election

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CHICAGO - As Chicago prepares for its first-ever elected school board race, groups advocating for school choice and charter schools have raised significant financial support. The November election follows a 2021 law that mandates an elected school board for the city, replacing the current mayor-appointed model.

According to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, two key organizations, the Urban Center Action (UCA) and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS), have accumulated over $3.6 million in combined donations. The donations come from business leaders and prominent billionaires, reflecting the high stakes of the election. Both groups have previously voiced criticism of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), positioning themselves as advocates for greater school choice in the city’s education system.

The donations are being funneled through independent expenditure committees, which operate like political action committees (PACs) but without the same donation limits. These committees, while prohibited from directly coordinating with candidates, can fund advertisements and distribute campaign materials in support of their preferred candidates. This approach enables groups like UCA and INCS to influence the election indirectly without violating campaign finance laws.

Juan Rangel, founder of the UCA and former President of UNO Charter School Network Inc., expressed support for candidates who are "independent thinkers" and emphasized the importance of promoting a "balanced debate" in the election. Rangel’s comments highlight the role these pro-school choice groups aim to play in shaping the dialogue surrounding Chicago’s education policies.

While the UCA and INCS have not yet reported direct spending in the school board race, their financial resources represent one of the largest anticipated inflows of funding on either side of the race. According to reports, state election records indicate that the UCA has raised $671,000 in just under two months. Meanwhile, INCS currently holds $3 million in donations, including a $100,000 contribution from Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings.

This level of funding dwarfs the financial support brought in by the 32 candidates running for school board positions. In fact, the combined resources of UCA and INCS are more than six times the total funds raised by all candidates and 20 times the amount held by the Chicago Teachers Union’s PAC at the end of June, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

INCS President Andrew Broy also stated that his organization plans to be involved in most of the school board races, indicating that the group intends to allocate significant financial resources to influence the outcomes of the upcoming state house elections as well.