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City of Chicago School District 299 board meeting, Feb 26, 2026

5 h 35 min · 22 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 5 h 35 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Chicago board defers vote on adding 25 after-school vendors to March 4 4:59:03

  • Several speakers at public comment asked the district for a plan for students at two Aspira high schools, including keeping students together and making sure credits transfer. 1:37:39
  • A district executive director said the district had advanced $2.55 million to Aspira and could not provide funding beyond state limits, and the chief portfolio officer said students who leave would have a guaranteed seat at nearby district-managed high schools. 3:33:33
Item by item (13)
  1. Opening and agenda changes 0:02
    • The roll call showed 18 members present, and the board was reported to have a quorum. 2:32
    • A board report on a resolution approving a recommendation to dismiss was withdrawn from the agenda. 5:39
  2. Arts education recognition 6:03
    • A presenter from the Department of Arts Education described arts as the core component of student education and announced the launch of a recurring quarterly revolving exhibition in the board chambers. 7:29
    • A program manager said the Realize dual enrollment arts program, run with Columbia College Chicago, gives students 6 to 12 free college credits and aims to serve 200 students every year by 2030. 16:40
    • A board member said the arts department gets only $5 million a year and asked that it receive as much as the athletic department. 54:17
  3. Chicago High School for the Arts transition 38:31
    • The official said daily arts instruction would rise from 180 minutes to 240 to 250 minutes and that another community meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, March 11th. 38:31
    • A district official said the school must follow district labor agreements and state law and presented a framework with a 7 hours and 15 minutes school day, including 150 minutes of pre-professional training plus 90 to 100 minutes after school. 42:40
  4. Superintendent remarks and board comments 57:50
    • The prepared remarks recognized 95 members of the class of 2026 selected as POSSE Scholars and 11 educators who are finalists for the 2026 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. 1:03:45
    • In prepared remarks, a district official said the district faces a significant budget shortfall going into next school year and described a visit to Springfield to meet with state legislators to improve education funding. 1:06:57
    • Board members encouraged colleagues to meet with legislators about revenue for schools. 1:16:12
  5. Black Student Achievement Committee update 1:30:12
    • A board member said the new Black Student Achievement Committee received nearly 500 membership applications and that the board would soon begin reviewing and scoring them. 1:30:12
  6. Public participation 1:35:38
    • Union representatives and several speakers at public comment raised concerns about Aspira's finances and asked for a plan that keeps students together and protects credits. 1:37:32
    • Other speakers at public comment raised a lunchroom workers contract, school overcrowding and a local school council appointment process. 1:51:15
    • Speakers at public comment from the Chicago High School for the Arts asked the board to support an 8 to 5 PM school day to keep its conservatory model. 2:45:15
  7. District responses on union contract and Aspira 3:29:36
    • A district official given the floor said the district proposed a wage increase to food service workers under which no worker would make less than $20 an hour by this August. 3:30:34
    • An executive director said Aspira will receive district funding through April 10th, that the district cannot exceed the 103% limit in state charter law, and that the district is not revoking the charter at this time. 3:35:53
    • The chief portfolio officer said students would get a transition coordinator and other supports, and that a family town hall was expected the week of March 2nd. 3:43:23
  8. Recess 4:08:31
    • A board member moved that the board take a 30-minute recess. 4:08:55
    • A speaker noted for the record that the vote on the motion to recess was 18 ayes, 0 nays. 4:10:14
  9. Capital planning process presentation 4:10:33
    • The chief facilities officer said district buildings average 86 years old and that the annual run-in-place need is $400 million. 4:11:15
    • The chief facilities officer said total facility need has grown to over $16 billion, including $3.7 billion in immediate critical needs, and that the goal is board approval of the capital budget in June. 4:18:37
    • A board member asked how parent groups can fund school projects, and the chief facilities officer said the work must be done through approved district vendors. 4:31:00
  10. Public agenda items 4:43:14
    • The board took up records of proceedings, policy amendments, academic calendars for the 2026⁠-⁠27 school year and 2027⁠-⁠28 school year, a lease amendment, contracts and closed session minutes. 4:45:03
    • One amendment permits 5 of the 14 student transportation vendors to lease and operate 50 new electric school buses. 4:48:47
    • The board secretary announced each group of items was adopted, including the policy and contract items by 19 ayes and 0 nays with a noted abstention. 4:46:24
  11. After-school vendor additions 4:59:03
    • The board secretary said the amendment would add 25 new vendors for out-of-school time and student health and wellness services. 4:59:03
    • The board member who requested the separate vote said only 27 of 97 vendors had complied with data requirements and said they would be voting no until vendors reach full compliance. 5:00:07
    • A district official said board members would receive a thorough update before the next board meeting. 5:17:22
    • The motion to defer the item until Wednesday, March 4th was adopted 13 ayes to 7 nays. 5:20:04
  12. Local school council appointments 5:20:04
    • A board member said a review of local school council policies would lead to recommended changes in the coming months. 5:22:50
    • The amendment passed 19 ayes, 0 nays and 1 abstention, and the amended resolution was adopted 20 ayes to 0 nays. 5:26:46
  13. Closed session and adjournment 5:32:48
    • A board member moved for a closed session on matters permitted under the Open Meetings Act. 5:32:48
    • The board secretary reported no items to vote on from executive session. 5:34:17

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 February 26, 2026 (Board Meeting)”