Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 2a, Far North Side
Read in Spanish. This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter , WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter , and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters . An attorney is challenging an incumbent with a background in…
In District 2a of Chicago's Far North Side, a two-way race for the school board is underway. Incumbent Ebony DeBerry, an attorney and former CPS teacher, is challenging incumbent Hector Morales, an attorney for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. DeBerry favors taxing corporations and the wealthy to address the budget issues facing Chicago Public Schools (CPS), while Morales believes in spending more efficiently and using existing resources before requesting more funding.
District 2a is known for its diverse population, with over 80 languages spoken in the Rogers Park neighborhood alone. The three candidates have differing views on how to fund and invest in bilingual and dual-language education programs, as well as addressing CPS' budget deficit.
DeBerry, who has been endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, aims to establish a youth advisory council to hear directly from students and improve community schools. She also supports changes to the city's taxing system to ensure the wealthy contribute more to CPS. Morales, endorsed by the Common Ground Collective, wants to make music and arts an integral part of schools' core curriculum.
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