Rainbow PUSH Coalition hosts final debate for CPS board president

The Chicago Public Schools district carries a debt load of 10 billion dollars, a figure candidate Victor Henderson cited during a Saturday morning forum at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. The meeting brought together the three contenders for the presidency of the city’s first fully elected school board.

The forum took place on October 31, three days before the November 4 midterm election. Voters in Cook County will select a president for the new board, a position that has never been directly elected before. The candidates spent the morning answering questions on district finances, falling enrollment, and student performance in core subjects.

Hilario Dominguez argued that staffing shortages are the primary barrier to academic progress. He noted that classrooms cannot improve in reading without dedicated specialists. He also emphasized the need for math experts in every school.

Jessica Biggs focused on the immediate financial pressures facing the district. She stated that the challenges are current and require solutions that include community input. As a sitting board member, she highlighted her track record of independent voting. She said no special interest group is happy with every decision she has made, but she has kept students at the center of her choices.

Henderson, a former president of the Chicago Bar Association, pointed to the specific budgetary risks the district faces. He noted that the district added between 735 million and 750 million dollars in debt last year. He warned that the budget relies on funds from Springfield and City Hall that may not materialize, requiring tough choices.

The candidates offered their final appeals to voters as the election approaches. Biggs, a former principal at Burke Elementary on the South Side, asked voters to value her independence. Henderson, the outside ethics officer for the Chicago Housing Authority, claimed he has the leadership skills the district needs right now. Dominguez, a former deputy political director for the Chicago Teachers Union, urged voters to act as if they are fighting for the most vulnerable students.

Chicago voters will cast their ballots on November 4 to determine who leads the new school board. The winner will take charge of a district struggling with financial stability and declining enrollment.