Chicago voters have been inundated with a flood of campaign material for this year’s school‑board election – from mailed flyers to YouTube ads and text messages. A fact‑check of a representative sample of that material clarifies several of the more sensational claims.
Republican donors and former President Trump
One mailer from the Our Schools Action PAC – a group heavily funded by the Chicago Teachers Union and supporting board‑president candidate Hilario Domínguez – suggested that his opponent, Jessica Biggs, is aligned with “billionaire backers” and has taken money from Republican donors. While the board race is officially nonpartisan, Biggs does list herself as a progressive Democrat and has indeed received contributions from individuals who have also given to Republicans.
Our Schools spokesperson Corli Jay identified two such donors: Paul Finnegan, who gave $2,900 to former Illinois congressional candidate Jesse Reising in 2022, and Meredith Bluhm, who donated $5,400 to former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk in 2015. Federal campaign‑finance records confirm those amounts. No direct link between Biggs and former President Donald Trump was found.
Funding from a billionaire donor
Biggs has received more than $700,000 from Democratic donor and billionaire Michael Sacks, whose portrait appears on one of the mailers. The Chicago Teachers Union has publicly criticized Sacks, but the contribution is a matter of public record.
In addition, Biggs benefits from sizable donations from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents many low‑wage Chicago Public Schools support workers.
School‑closure positions
The same mailer claimed Biggs supports school closures. In fact, Biggs opposes extending the board‑imposed moratorium on closures beyond the current academic year and has said that closing schools “is the last thing we should want for a community.” She advocates for a comprehensive plan that addresses facility needs, enrollment gaps, course availability and community input.
Domínguez tax‑payment controversy
A digital ad paid for by the Common Ground Collective – an anti‑CTU group funded by Michael Sacks – alleged that Domínguez and his family owe more than $35,000 in unpaid property taxes on a Pilsen address. Domínguez responded that his family has been on a payment plan for the delinquent taxes since February, a fact confirmed by the Cook County Treasurer’s Office, which shows an outstanding balance of about $38,000.
Domínguez also clarified that the property he currently occupies on the Near West Side is fully paid, and that the Pilsen address was a former residence inherited by his wife’s grandfather.
Text‑message ad for incumbent Rivas
A text message supporting incumbent board member Carlos Rivas (subdistrict 3b) warned voters that the board was taking out a high‑interest loan and that Rivas had voted against a property‑tax increase in December. The message omitted that Rivas, like all board members, voted to raise property taxes to the legal limit last summer and again this summer to fund the district’s $10 billion budget. The December 2025 vote Rivas opposed was scheduled after the district underestimated its legal borrowing capacity earlier that year.
Rivas’ campaign confirmed he had no role in the text‑message ad, noting that state law bars candidates from coordinating with super PACs.
Flyers for other candidates
Flyers supporting candidate Sherratt (subdistrict 4a) described her as a CPS parent, though she has said her two children attend a private school. The campaign for her opponent, Karen Zaccor, called the flyer misleading. The Illinois Network of Charter Schools PAC and the Brighter Futures super PAC (funded by SEIU Illinois State Council) each produced a flyer; one misspelled Sherratt’s name, an error later corrected by the PAC.
Candidate White (district 6a) was portrayed as an “experienced CPS educator.” CPS employment records show he has been with the district for only two years, beginning as a substitute in April 2024 and moving to a special‑education classroom‑assistant role in May 2025. White argues his broader teaching experience, including work in Spain, qualifies him for the board.
Incumbent Lozano (subdistrict 7a) was highlighted for helping stop the closure of Latino schools. While she voted against a charter‑network plan to close seven majority‑Latino schools, the board later saved five of those schools and allowed two to close after CPS raised legal and financial concerns. Lozano was absent when the board unanimously revoked CPS’s contract with two majority‑Latino ASPIRA charter high schools.
These findings illustrate the importance of scrutinizing campaign material in a nonpartisan school‑board race. Voters are encouraged to consult official records and candidate statements before making decisions at the ballot box.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
