Chicago school board election 2026: What presidential candidate Sendhil Revuluri says about student learning, CPS budget and what he wants to change

Chicago voters are set to elect the president of the Board of Education this fall, with Sendhil Revuluri among the candidates running for the position.

FOX 32 Chicago reports that Revuluri serves as vice president of the Chicago Board of Education and was appointed to the board by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2019, when the mayor appointed the entire board. CBS Chicago reported on Revuluri’s previous service as the board’s vice president in its smaller format.

Revuluri’s campaign priorities include setting clear goals for student success, helping families understand the board’s work to “build real trust” and what he describes as “reality-based” budgeting, according to FOX 32 Chicago.

Sendhil Revuluri Says Students Should Come First

Revuluri said he is running because he believes students should be at the center of everything the school district does.

“We need to put our students at the center of everything we’re doing,” Revuluri said, according to CBS Chicago.

He said that means accepting reality and making what he described as difficult choices in the interests of students rather than “special interests.”

His platform calls for putting student learning “above all else,” along with community engagement that brings everyday Chicagoans to the table and “reality-based” budgeting, CBS Chicago reported.

Revuluri Questions the CPS Budget

The Chicago Public Schools budget is another issue Revuluri has raised during the campaign.

CBS Chicago reported that the Board of Education approved a $10 billion budget in July that relies on $150 million in state funding from Springfield. Illinois lawmakers had not approved the $150 million, while district leaders warned that it would be a “disaster” if the money did not come through.

Asked whether “reality-based” budgeting could involve closing very low-enrollment schools, Revuluri said the board needs to accept the financial reality facing the district and understand the revenue available to it.

He said the district needs to “right-size” itself to ensure students’ futures receive the investment they need, according to CBS Chicago.

Revuluri said the state probably would not provide the expected $150 million and described the assumption as “phantom revenue.”

He also said the budget did not begin with what was best for students and accused the process of avoiding change and catering to special interests backing other candidates. Those were Revuluri’s claims about the budget process.

Revuluri described the passed budget as “irresponsible,” “incompetent” and “make-believe,” according to CBS Chicago.

Revuluri Criticizes Focus on Student Progress

Revuluri also criticized the current board over what he said was a lack of focus on student progress.

According to CBS Chicago, he said board members could have asked questions about student progress and whether students were reading at grade level. Revuluri said the board had not done so during the previous 20 months.

He said the board’s purpose is successful education and that its role is not to prescribe curriculum or micromanage the school district.

Instead, Revuluri said the board should create the conditions for improvement and maintain a focus on student learning.

Revuluri Proposes CEO Evaluation Process

Revuluri said one of his first actions as president would be to establish a “clear, public, and focused CEO evaluation process.”

He said the board had lacked such a process for 20 months, according to CBS Chicago.

CBS Chicago reported that Revuluri was appointed to the board by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2019, when the mayor appointed the entire board. He served until 2023, when Mayor Brandon Johnson took over.

Revuluri’s Background in Education and Finance

FOX 32 Chicago reports that Revuluri is a Chicago native who taught in New York, co-founded a new public school and was recognized for his work in mathematics education.

CBS Chicago reported that he worked in the CPS Office of High School Teaching and Learning. He also served as a parent member of the Local School Council at Suder Montessori Magnet Elementary School and later became managing director of strategic investment at PEAK6 Capital Management.

FOX 32 Chicago and CBS Chicago identified Jessica Biggs, Hilario Dominguez, Victor Henderson and Sendhil Revuluri as candidates for Board of Education president.

The full 21-member Chicago Board of Education will be elected by voters, with a president elected districtwide and 20 members elected from subdistricts, according to FOX 32 Chicago.