Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
And just like that, it’s voting time. 🗳️
Today marks the first day of early voting in the general election.
You can cast your ballot at the Chicago Board of Election Voting Supersite (191 N. Clark) or the Chicago Board of Elections offices (69 W. Washington St., 6th Floor).
Or you can wait until Oct. 21, when early voting in all 50 Wards begins. And of course, the final day to vote is Election Day, Nov. 5.
In addition to those big votes for president and the U.S. House, Chicago voters will finalize their picks for the city’s first elected school board.
For almost 30 years, Chicago has had some form of an appointed board. Chicago Public Schools is the only school district in Illinois that does not have an elected board. This election marks the beginning of the transition to a school board elected by citizens.
In today’s newsletter, we’ll break down what you need to know about Chicago’s elected school board.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on the revamped “Amazon Rising” exhibit at Shedd Aquarium, three must-see dance performances this season and more community news you need to know below. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
What you need to know about Chicago’s elected school board
Reporting by Nader Issa, Sarah Karp and Kate Grossman
Transition to elected board: During this cycle, voters will elect 10 of 21 school board members. The rest of the board, including the president, will continue to be appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, giving the mayor majority control of the board for nearly all of his four-year term. They will begin serving a two-year term in January 2025. In November 2026, the entire board will be elected.
How voting districts work: The election map drafted by Illinois lawmakers includes 10 districts, each split into two subdistricts. In this first election, voters will pick one board member per district for a total of 10 elected members. Johnson will appoint a second member in each district, plus a board president to complete the 21-member hybrid school board.
Find your ballot: The final ballot includes 31 candidates, plus slots for four write-in candidates in three of 10 voting districts (5, 6 and 10). No printed names will appear as write-ins, but four individuals filed the paperwork required to be write-ins in those districts. Find who’s running in your district in our voter guide. Just enter your address to see who’s vying for your vote.
A screenshot of our voter guide. Just enter your address and find who’s running in your district.
Sun-Times
What supporters say: Advocates of an elected school board have been pushing for one to oversee Chicago Public Schools for more than a decade. The effort picked up momentum after Chicago’s mayoral-appointed board closed a record 50 schools in 2013. Supporters of an elected board say it will inject democracy and a community voice into CPS decision-making and benefit students and communities. They have high hopes that a different governing structure will lead to better outcomes for kids and families.
Opposing views: Some Chicagoans are concerned that the campaign structure and lack of pay will shut out working-class and grassroots school board candidates, that the elected board is too large to be effective and that the voting districts don’t adequately represent CPS parents. Detractors also worry an elected board will be divisive, slow an already bureaucratic decision-making process and possibly be corrupted by financial contributions.
Money woes: Opponents and proponents of the elected board agree on a few potentially problematic issues. These include the influence of money and pay for board members. WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times have created a campaign contribution tracker where you can keep tabs on donations in real time to see how much is being raised and which races are getting the big bucks vs. grassroots campaigns.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
UC’s $7B transformation: Shovels could be in the ground as early as next summer on the 1901 Project, the plan to transform the “sea of asphalt” surrounding the United Center. The arena’s owners said that the development will likely take 15 years and will be privately financed by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families
Engineering program expands: City Colleges of Chicago is expanding the reach of its engineering education program from one location at Wilbur Wright College to at least two more colleges in the city, with the hope of adding two more locations in 2026.
3 stars for ‘White Bird’: Helen Mirren plays an artist recounting to her grandson her ordeal hiding from Nazis in WWII France in this inspiring coming-of-age story, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper.
‘Hoop Dreams’ turns 30: To commemorate the seminal 1999 documentary, two of its stars gifted Garfield Park neighbors a refurbished basketball court to inspire new generations.
Bears-Panther predictions: The Sun-Times’ sports writers offer their picks for the Bears’ home game Sunday against Carolina.
FALL GUIDE 🍂
Chicago dance scene’s autumn highlights
Reporting by Kyle MacMillan | For the Sun-Times
Today, we’re zeroing in on the city’s dance scene, which offers a wide range of programming worth catching soon.
Here are three of this season’s highlights. Find our full list at this link or via the button below.
‘Carnival of the Animals’
Saturday, Oct. 19
📍Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph
Dancer Wendy Whelan appears opposite spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi in this work, created in response to the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021 — a kind of exploration of today’s highly charged political jungle.
Tickets: $33+
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Nov. 15-24
📍Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted
One of Chicago’s oldest and best-known dance companies will begin its 47th season with works by Kyle Abraham, Lar Lubovitch and Aszure Barton, plus “Sweet Gwen Suite” by Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon.
Tickets: $20+
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater 2024–2025 showcase
Saturday, Nov. 16
📍Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B Wells Drive
Known for drawing on African American and other modern dance traditions, this highly respected local company will present a program containing works by two company co-founders — Kevin Iega Jeff’s “Flack” (1984) and Gary Abbott’s “Desire” (1994).
Tickets: $35+
BRIGHT ONE ✨
‘Amazon Rising’ exhibit at Shedd Aquarium lifted to new heights
Reporting by Stefano Esposito
A stingray comes into view, its spotted skin fluttering like wet silk, then a giant river turtle, clawing its way to the water’s surface. A school of silver-blue fish, each about the size of a human hand, glimmer in filtered sunlight.
They scatter for the fish rising from the sandy bottom — a monstrous creature with a shovel-like snout, armor-bright scales and weighing as much as a linebacker in need of a diet.
“Oh my gosh, that’s a huge fish!” shrieks a child racing toward the curved wall of glass.
No doubt that sort of reaction is what the big-picture folks at Shedd Aquarium were hoping for when they began reimagining the “Amazon Rising” exhibit, which reopened Tuesday, after about a yearlong makeover.
The Amazon project is part of $250 million worth of Shedd renovations, expected to wrap up in 2027.
The improved “Amazon Rising” — a visitor favorite with its creeper vines, tangles of ropy tree roots and water levels reflecting both the wet and dry seasons — features bigger tanks, improved lighting and skylights and lots more plants native to the Amazon River basin.
The River Giants tank, the one containing two 8-foot long, 200-plus pound arapaima, is now about three times larger, giving visitors a better opportunity to see the creature’s massive bulk, as well as a variety of catfish, tambaqui, turtles and other river creatures.
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Written by: Matt Moore
Editor: Esther Bergdahl
Copy editor: Angie Myers