2026 Chicago School Board Election Resources

In the 2026 Chicago School Board election, a race is taking place in District 9b on the South Side. Two candidates, Therese Boyle and Katherine Dunneback, are vying for representation of the area, which contains 46 public schools. Boyle, a retired Chicago Public Schools psychologist on the school board, and Dunneback, a former CPS mom and speech-language pathologist, have different priorities.

Boyle has spent 35 years working for the district and has served at multiple schools within District 9b. She emphasizes the importance of spending district money wisely and highlights concerns about school overcrowding and closures. On the other hand, Dunneback is concerned about school overcrowding and has spoken of expanding the Sustainable Community Schools initiative as an alternative to closures.

This program, spearheaded by the district with the Chicago Teachers Union, turns neighborhood schools into community hubs and provides funding for high-needs campuses and nonprofits.

Both candidates agree on the importance of academic strictures, such as limiting AI and electronic devices, but disagree on charter schools. Boyle supports charter schools and school consolidation when equitable and cost-effective, while Dunneback opposes charter schools and focuses on improving services through the Sustainable Community Schools program.

Neither candidate intends to raise property taxes to the maximum to fund schools. However, Dunneback suggests that board members should collaborate with other elected officials to fund schools through alternative tax policies, while Boyle believes that CPS is not currently spending wisely.

Boyle, who previously won with 33% of the vote in 2024, is currently receiving backing from Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council and donors linked to pro-charter public schools and school choice groups. In contrast, Dunneback, supported by the Chicago Teachers Union, is backed financially by the latter.

As a school psychologist and teacher for 35 years, Boyle is now focused on addressing student outcomes, school security, and safety. Dunneback, on the other hand, aims to reduce technology in the classroom, expand early childhood education, and reduce class sizes, which she believes affects parental connections with teachers and students' academic progress.