Johnson names school board replacements in contentious news conference

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Mayor Brandon Johnson named six nominees to the embattled Chicago Board of Education, days after all of its members resigned.

Seven current school board members resigned Friday, and at a South Side church on Monday, Johnson introduced six replacements, with a decision pending on a seventh.

His news conference was briefly interrupted by about a half-dozen protesters who chanted that his move was “not legit.”

The mayor responded, though, and said he’s the only one with the power to make the decisions that must be made to serve a school system that’s been grossly underfunded for decades.

“I’m going to stand firm and flat-footed to ensure that our students get what they deserve,” he said. “Because, just for the record, I was legitimate when I took an arrest against other administrations when they were closing down Black schools.”

He expects his appointees to approve $300 million in short-term borrowing that the previous board and school CEO would not.

The school board passes the roughly 325,000-student district's budget, confirms its CEO, and approves its policies and contracts.

The new seven-person board will remain in place until a 21-person, partially elected board takes over in January.

Get to know the candidates running for the Chicago Board of Education with WBBM's online guide .

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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