A third of likely voters in November’s elections have no idea which of the five candidates for Chicago School Board president they’d vote for, or if they’d vote at all, according to a poll released Thursday that provides one of the first looks at the state of the historic contest.

Chicago Public Schools passed a controversial budget. Candidates for school board president answer: What must the district do now?

Get to know the candidates for school board president.

During a July 30, featured appearance on FOX 32’s The Chicago Report, Sendhil Revuluri criticized the Chicago Board of Education’s handling of the CPS budget and said political interests were taking priority over student outcomes.

The interview aired as the Board debated a $9.96 billion budget that later passed 11-7, with one abstention, and included $150 million in state revenue that had not been authorized.

“For the second year in a row, this board failed to do its job: making sure the district's budget delivers for students. Let's not let there be a third strike.”

CHICAGO, July 30, 2026 — Sendhil Revuluri, candidate for President of the Chicago Board of Education, released the following statement after the Board approved a $9.96 billion budget for the 2026-27 school year:

Dominguez’s candidate committee reported no contributions or spending in its first quarterly report, which “cannot be accurate,” according to the complaint, filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections last week on behalf of challenger Sendhil Revuluri. 

Hilario Dominguez, a candidate for Chicago school board president, is facing a formal state complaint from a challenger who claims Dominguez ignored campaign finance rules.

Decision Will Clear the Way to Refocus the Race on Students

CHICAGO, June 30, 2026 — Following this morning’s Electoral Board direction on objections to candidate petitions for the Chicago Board of Education, Sendhil Revuluri issued the following statement:

This race should be about our students' success — because that's what voters are demanding. A challenge this weak only pulls us away from that conversation.

CHICAGO, May 29, 2026 – Following another lengthy and contentious Chicago Board of Education meeting, Sendhil Revuluri, candidate for President of the Chicago Board of Education and former vice president of the board, issued the following statement:

Calls Out Years of "Balanced" Budgets Built on One-Time Fixes

CHICAGO, May 13, 2026 – As Chicago Public Schools faces a $732 million deficit, former CPS Board Vice President and candidate for Board President Sendhil Revuluri issued the following statement: 

CHICAGO, March 19, 2026 – In a recent appearance on WBEZ, Mayor Johnson doubled down on his claim that choosing the next CPS CEO is his call to make, going so far as to say that the CPS CEO "only serves the mayor."

Former Board Vice President and candidate for Board President Sendhil Revuluri issued the following statement in response:

Chicago, IL (October 30, 2025) — Ahead of this morning’s Chicago Board of Education’s emergency vote on a preemptive pension reimbursement to the city of Chicago, board president candidate Sendhil Revuluri urged leaders to match any short-term action with a credible, long-term strategic plan that is aligned with student success.

As a candidate for president of the Chicago Board of Education, Sendhil Revuluri promises to focus the board on governing for student success.

There's a lot going on this week, with a special board meeting happening on Thursday morning to address the threatened closure of EPIC Charter and ensure CPS makes the contested $175 million pension payment, contingent upon receiving the full, record-breaking $1 billion TIF surplus recently promised by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Sendhil Revuluri, a former vice president of the Chicago Board of Education under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, announced Wednesday that he will run for board president in next year’s election.

Nearly three years after leaving his post as Chicago Board of Education vice president, former teacher and Chicago Public Schools parent Sendhil Revuluri is vying to return, announcing his candidacy for school board president Wednesday.

CHICAGO, October 15 –Former teacher, Chicago Public School (CPS) parent, and education leader, Sendhil Revuluri today became the first candidate to launch a campaign for President of the Chicago Board of Education, which will be chosen by voters for the first time next year.

In another chaotic meeting on Aug. 28, the Chicago Board of Education adopted an FY26 budget, just days before the legal deadline. It’s good that the district didn’t have to shut down, and that the budget doesn’t further exacerbate the district’s unsustainable debt load. But the board didn’t address the fundamental issue: ensuring the budget is designed to achieve success for every student. It might enable this — but the board didn’t work to ensure that it will.

Last month, Chicago Public Schools entered a new era of governance: a hybrid Board of Education with 10 elected members and 11 appointed by the mayor. In 2026, voters will decide on all 21 seats, completing the transition to an elected board. We recently convened for a panel discussion at the invite of Joe Ferguson of the Civic Federation that elicited these shared thoughts on what families and children hope and need from the new board.