City of Chicago School District 299 board meeting, Jan 29, 2026
3 h 12 min · 29 public speakers
This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 3 h 12 min.
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What happened
What happened at this meeting
Chicago board tables unfinished business item, adopts tax anticipation note resolution 2:43:32
- Several speakers at public comment asked the board to fully fund the conservatory model at Chicago High School for the Arts, to renew charter schools and to offer a remote learning option for families afraid of immigration enforcement. 1:34:49
- The board adopted a resolution on educational purposes tax anticipation notes in a maximum principal amount not to exceed $1,650,000,000 outstanding, along with procurement items, by 19 ayes, 0 nays. 2:43:32
- The board voted 14 ayes, 5 nays, 0 abstentions to table unfinished business item 251218 RS3 to the next regular board meeting of February 26th, 2026. 3:09:05
Item by item (15)
- Opening and roll call 0:01
- Early college and career pathways recognition 3:33
- The honoring excellence segment focused on the district's early college and career credential pathways, including Advanced Placement, dual credit, International Baccalaureate, the State Seal of Biliteracy and Careers in Technical Education. 3:39
- Students and alumni described their pathway experiences, and a presenter said 13 young people, most of them now licensed engineers, were in the first group of a building engineer partnership. 17:10
- A speaker said a number of 8th graders did not know a lot about the CTE programs and asked that a way be developed to present the different opportunities to them. 33:21
- Interim superintendent's remarks 40:33
- The interim superintendent said the district now offers virtual mental health services to all high school students at no cost. 45:11
- On Chicago High School for the Arts, the interim superintendent said a formal funding resolution was not on the action agenda and the district was taking the next 30 days to finalize internal resource alignment. 46:30
- The interim superintendent said students with access to bus transportation were up 10% from last year and that students achieved a 60.2% pass rate on the Algebra Exit Exam in spring 2025. 52:01
- Black Student Achievement Committee applications 1:05:59
- A board member said the application window for the Black Student Achievement Committee would reopen Monday, February 2nd at 9:00 AM and close Monday, February 9th at 5:00 PM. 1:06:07
- Union representatives' comments 1:07:34
- A union representative asked the district to help send a contingent of school families, educators and administrators to Springfield on February 17th and said a formal demand would be made for impact bargaining around ICE and Border Patrol operations. 1:09:15
- An SEIU Local 73 representative said custodians had a heavier workload due to 500 fewer custodians than last school year. 1:22:01
- A Unite Here Local 1 representative said CPS lunchroom workers had been without a contract for over 7 months and asked the board to sign a fair contract. 1:25:59
- Public participation 1:27:52
- Several speakers at public comment asked the board to fully fund the Chicago High School for the Arts conservatory model and to commit to retaining its teachers. 1:34:49
- Speakers sought charter renewals, including a 5-year renewal for the University of Chicago Charter School, a 10-year renewal for the Academy for Global Citizenship and a 7-year renewal for Intrinsic Schools. 1:51:28
- A speaker and a state representative asked the board to consider a remote learning option for families who do not feel safe sending children to school. 2:31:43
- Recess 2:38:04
- A motion was made for the board to take a 30-minute recess. 2:38:09
- Public agenda questions 2:39:11
- A speaker asked how schools are chosen to receive athletic trainers, saying no pattern was apparent in school populations or opportunity indexes. 2:39:52
- Records of proceedings 2:41:41
- A motion was made to approve the records of proceedings of the Dec. 3, Dec. 18 and Dec. 29, 2025, meetings. 2:42:02
- Resolutions, property sales and procurement 2:43:32
- The items included a resolution on educational purposes tax anticipation notes in a maximum principal amount not to exceed $1,650,000,000 outstanding, disposition of bids on property sales and several procurement agreements. 2:43:32
- Several reports, including procurement and principal contract reports, were received and filed. 2:46:14
- General counsel items 2:46:59
- The items included appointments of assistant general counsel, an amendment increasing spending authority for 6 outside counsel law firms, workers' compensation settlements and a proposed settlement. 2:46:59
- Personnel resolutions 2:49:10
- Closed session minutes 2:53:24
- A motion was made to adopt the minutes of the Dec. 3 and Dec. 18, 2025, closed sessions and keep them confidential. 2:53:47
- District response on remote learning 2:55:11
- A district official said state law does not allow the district to invoke remote or blended learning without a governor's disaster declaration, and that the district is discussing the feasibility of an e-learning policy. 2:55:27
- The board president asked that updates on the issue continue to be provided to the community. 2:58:08
- Local school council appointments 2:59:07
- The board adopted a motion on the Hancock appointment by a vote of 17 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention. 3:05:29
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
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Video: posted by the district as “Chicago Board of Education January 29, 2026 (Board Meeting)”