After delay, Chicago mayor’s office opens applications for the school board’s noncitizen advisory panel

Mayor Brandon Johnson's office has re-opened applications for a noncitizen advisory panel on Chicago's school board, 20 months after the city's partially elected school board was established. The applications opened on August 31 and will close on September 25. The city's elected school board will be chosen in a vote by voters in two months.

The mayor's office will select 17 people, who must be Chicago residents, and expect to finalize appointees by the first week of November. Two people had applied as of Monday morning. The panel's purpose is to provide a formal voice to noncitizens, who cannot vote in school board elections. Advocates, including Kids First Chicago, spent the last two years pushing for the advisory panel, particularly during the federal government's deportation campaign last year.

Applications can be submitted for one- or two-year terms. The city delayed the applications due to "prudent precautionary measures" to ensure safety and understanding of public meeting requirements. The mayor's office expects more applications as organizations circulate the form. Jessica Cañas, chief of community engagement at Kids First Chicago, expressed excitement over the panel's establishment and interest in how immigrant students and parents will be represented.

She noted that the term "noncitizen" can refer to various immigration statuses. Cañas also wondered how the noncitizen board will interact with the elected school board and if there will be term limits for appointees.