How much impact will special interests have on Chicago’s new school board?

CHICAGO (CBS) — For the first time, Chicago voters have chosen 10 school board members who will make major decisions for the district—including how to tackle the massive upcoming budget deficit.
Despite a major push from the Chicago Teachers Union, there is a true split on the new elected board. But with Mayor Brandon Johnson still appointing some of the board members, there are questions as to what difference the split really makes.
Three school board members-elect backed by the CTU—Ebony DeBerry in the 3rd District, Aaron Brown in the 5th who ran unopposed, and Yesenia Lopez in the 7th—won their races.
Three others backed by charter schools—Carlos Rivas in the 3rd District, Ellen Rosenfeld in the 4th, and Angel Gutierrez in the 8th—also won.
Finally, at least one independent not backed by the CTU or charter schools—Jessica Biggs in the 6th District—will be represented on the board.
There are 10 elected school board members in all. They will be joined by another 10 selected by Mayor Johnson, who will also handpick a president.
So with the mayor closely aligned with the CTU, along with the union’s winning candidates, what difference does that majority make when it comes to making decisions?
CBS News Chicago looked closer. Per the board rules and policies, adopting or suspending anything new requires a two-thirds majority of the full board, or 14 members Between Johnson’s picks and those elected, the majority favors CTU.
“Even with the split, simple majority belongs to special interests, and because of that, every decision that comes before the board will be controlled by the simple majority,” said Chris McCullough, a professor at DePaul University’s DePaul University’s College of Education who has served as president of a suburban school board.
McCullough said the split of the board sends a message.
“That is a very big deal, because the whole concept of a public school system is local control,” he said. “For those board members who were elected that don’t have special interest behind them or big money behind them, be vocal.”
The public being vocal is something McCullough says will be increasingly important moving forward.
“The community is going to have to be cognizant of what’s going on with issues the board is discussing, and take advantage of opportunities to go in and make public comment,” McCullough said. “Let your voices be heard, so that special interest and big money doesn’t have the opportunity to erode local control.”
This full board officially gets to work in January. As this board makes history in Chicago, CBS News Chicago will continue to follow it closely, and its impact on students across the city.