Does Illinois run the Chicago public school system ? Chicago is good at education right?
No, Illinois does not directly run the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) — the City of Chicago does through a local school board.
Here's how it works:
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a local school district, officially known as Chicago School District #299.
It is governed by the Chicago Board of Education, which historically has been appointed by the Mayor of Chicago.
As of 2024–2027, CPS is transitioning to an elected school board system, per Illinois state legislation. By 2027, all school board members will be elected.
Role of the State of Illinois:
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) oversees all public education in the state and sets curriculum standards, testing requirements, and funding formulas.
However, it does not run Chicago schools day to day.
The state can intervene in extreme cases (e.g. financial insolvency, major underperformance), but that’s rare.
In Summary:
City of Chicago runs CPS through its Board of Education.
Illinois oversees all districts generally but does not operate CPS directly.