Chicago voters are preparing to elect a school board president who will help lead a major shift in how the district is governed. Students will question the three contenders — Jessica Biggs, Hilario Dominguez and Victor Henderson — at a live debate Wednesday at 8 p.m. on 91.5 FM and YouTube. Journalists and students will ask about declining enrollment, academic performance and the district’s financial challenges.
As WBEZ reports, the forum is sponsored by WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times and Chalkbeat Chicago. WBEZ education editor Kalyn Belsha and Chalkbeat Chicago bureau chief Becky Vevea will moderate. The debate takes place before early voting opens Monday, Oct. 19; Election Day is Nov. 3.
The election is part of a transition from a mayor-appointed body to a fully elected 21-member board: Chicago voters will elect a school board president and members for the first time this fall. The transition ends direct mayoral appointment control that began in 1995 and lasted about three decades. The board will have 20 geographic districts. The president will set monthly meeting agendas, while the full board will set policy, hire and evaluate the superintendent, and approve the annual budget and property tax increases.
A Crowded Field Narrows to Three
The race wasn't always a three-way affair. Candidates Sendhil Revuluri and Jennifer Custer both dropped out earlier this year, each citing the millions of dollars in union and special-interest spending that squeezed out independent contenders, as Hoodline previously reported. Revuluri suspended his campaign last month but will still appear on the ballot, per WBEZ's reporting.
That has left Jessica Biggs, a current board member and former principal; Hilario Dominguez, a former Chicago Teachers Union deputy political director and former special education teacher; and Victor Henderson, a prominent defense attorney, to carry the race to its finish. The money has flowed heavily to two of the three: Dominguez has received nearly $600,000 from the Chicago Teachers Union, which backs him and is described by WBEZ as an ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson, while Henderson has largely self-funded his bid, drawing support instead from Black pastors and community leaders, including former Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Carol Adams.
Biggs, meanwhile, has built a coalition of labor and business backers. SEIU Illinois State Council, which represents CPS support staff such as janitors, bus aides and special education assistants, endorsed Biggs in July, according to Chalkbeat — a split from the Chicago Teachers Union, which represents 30,000 educators and is backing Dominguez. Biggs has also drawn major donor money, including from Michael Sacks and Paul Finnegan, the co-founder of Madison Dearborn Partners. Sacks' $150,000 contribution was the largest individual donation recorded in the race.
Records and Allegations in the Race
The candidates have faced scrutiny over their records and past conduct. Biggs was fired from CPS in 2018 after the district's inspector general found she instructed staff to mislabel absent students. She was placed on the district's do-not-hire list, then removed from it after winning a school board seat two years ago. Biggs contends her firing was political, according to WBEZ.
The CPS Office of Inspector General reopened an investigation this month into allegations that Dominguez made inappropriate personal inquiries to a teenage student while working at a community organization. Chalkbeat reports that the office had previously closed the case for insufficient evidence. The accuser reportedly said Dominguez's hug made her very uncomfortable and alleged he asked about her dating life. Dominguez denies the allegations and says they are politically motivated. The Chicago Teachers Union has sent members a letter alleging the inspector general violated district policy by publicly commenting on an active investigation; Chalkbeat reports the dispute reflects tension between the union and district watchdogs.
Henderson's record has also drawn scrutiny. His ex-wife accused him of hitting his son in 2011 divorce papers, a detail first reported by NBC 5 Chicago and covered in earlier Hoodline reporting on the custody records. Henderson denies ever abusing his children and has said an opponent surfaced the old custody battle to damage his reputation. Chalkbeat has also reported on Henderson's prior service on the board of Urban Prep Academies, a charter network serving predominantly Black male students. In 2023, CPS sought to revoke the network's operating agreements amid allegations. Henderson has defended Urban Prep's value to students.
A Budget Crisis Looms Over the Winner
The next board will also face difficult budget decisions. CPS approved a revised $10.11 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 in July, assuming $150 million in additional state funds to avert more than 1,000 planned layoffs, according to the district’s budget documentation. The district had initially faced a $732.5 million deficit entering its 2027 budget planning, a gap the Illinois Policy Institute cited as part of CPS's long-running fiscal challenges.
Technology policy has also split the field. Advocacy group Illinois Families for Public Schools introduced a Human-Centered Education Pledge in August asking candidates to commit to a three-year moratorium on generative AI tools in classrooms. Biggs signed the pledge, while Henderson publicly refused, arguing against blanket restrictions on classroom technology, according to Axios.
Funding pressures and student participation
CPS’s budget materials show a worsening gap between district revenue and the state’s adequacy benchmark: according to Chicago Public Schools, the district had 73 percent of the revenue the state’s Evidence-Based Funding model deems adequate in FY2026, down from 81 percent in FY2024. That measure speaks to revenue adequacy, rather than providing a full account of spending, debt obligations or enrollment over time. Students also have a formal route to participate in decisions at their own schools. Separately from the citywide board election, CPS says students in sixth grade or higher at schools with grades 7 and 8, and students at high schools, may run for a seat on their school’s Local School Council; all students at the school may vote for student LSC candidates, according to Chicago Public Schools.
The debate is part of a CPS school board election voter guide created by WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times with help from Chalkbeat and Block Club Chicago. Students' questions will put candidates on the record about issues the new board will confront, including school closings and the budget deficit, as Chicago moves away from direct mayoral appointment control that began in 1995. With early voting days away, the forum offers voters a chance to hear how the contenders describe the board's role and the challenges ahead.
