The crowded race for the school board seat representing Chicago’s North Side District 2 has become the most expensive race citywide.

Four candidates are vying to win election in the district, which includes Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Peterson Park, Budlong Woods and Andersonville, as well as the Far North Side communities of Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge. The area is perhaps the most racially diverse in the city, mixing some affluent neighborhoods with more working-class and immigrant populations.

Election Day is November 5.

In other districts, there is an open conflict between the teachers’ union and opposition groups. In the 2nd Region, the large number of candidates makes the race a little more complicated.

ebony deberryThe 47-year-old is a community organizer and former Chicago Public Schools teacher who grew up in Rogers Park. It is supported by the Chicago Teachers Union and affiliated progressive groups.

Margaret “Maggie” Cullerton Hooper 43, is a senior advisor to the Alliance for Black Equality political action committee. Cullerton Hooper was supported by some labor unions. His father is retired former Illinois Senate President John Cullerton.

Kate DoyleThe 35-year-old leads a nonprofit organization that supports low-income young adults through free career training and job placement. Supported by numerous smaller groups, Doyle declared himself the independent, progressive option.

Bruce Leon(62) sold the human resources company he had recently founded. Supported by Urban Center Action and Illinois Policy PAC; more conservative groups that support school choice, oppose CTU, and are largely backed by wealthy business leaders and some billionaires.

DeBerry, Cullerton Hooper, and Doyle are more closely aligned than Leon, but their views still differ in some important ways.

DeBerry and Doyle support requiring all schools to choose from a specific curriculum authorized by the school board, while Cullerton Hooper and Leon do not. Cullerton Hooper is the only candidate who thinks the school board should continue to raise the property tax levy each year to the maximum allowed by state law to provide more funding.

Leon is the only one who supports closing schools with low enrollment. Although some do not want charter schools to open, none want to close or abandon charter schools.

On Mayor Brandon Johnson’s vision of prioritizing neighborhood schools and moving away from school choice, Doyle thinks neighborhood schools should receive more funding, but not at the expense of selective and engaging programs that “have a track record of producing successful graduates and should be a source of pride.” he said.

In response to a Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ/Chalkbeat poll about this plan, Leon wrote: “Selective schools and charter schools are turning the tide for everyone.

“Equity is bad policy by trying to boost below-average schools by reducing high performers,” he said.

DeBerry said he fully supports the change to the school system’s funding formula, which helps schools where “children’s individual needs are high and unmet.” Culteron Hooper said he would like to see public participation as part of the process.

Candidates in this high-dollar race raised $1.1 million a week before Election Day, with more coming in by the day.

Leon self-financed his entire campaign with four loans from his personal fortune to the tune of $550,000; the last one was a $250,000 loan granted on October 23.

Doyle raised $118,000, mostly through direct campaign contributions from individuals. This includes a $35,000 loan from Doyle.

Three-quarters of DeBerry’s $84,000 in contributions came from CTU political funds. He also received a massive $144,000 in support from the union and its affiliated political action committees through in-kind contributions, which are goods or services provided to a campaign by someone else.

Another $190,000 of Cullerton Hooper’s campaign money came mostly from individuals and unions, some with political connections. His father’s campaign fund allocated $75,000 to the campaign, mostly this month. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot donated $250 to Cullerton Hooper’s campaign in September.

Asked how candidates will maintain their independence from the mayor, CTU or other powerful groups or individuals, DeBerry said: “The answer is easy.

“I will follow the will of my parents and relationships here on the North Side of Chicago; the parents, teachers and administrators I interact with every day are experts on their situations,” he said. “Our students should also have a say in what goes on with them, and I am accountable to my constituents and them alone.”

Cullerton Hooper said he has no support from the CTU or “powerful PACs that lobby for private, outside interests,” so he is accountable only to CPS families.

“I have no interest in building a political career at the expense of our children’s education,” he said.

Leon also said that “it’s easy” because he’s financing his campaign himself and has fought CTU before.

Doyle argued that “independence is of paramount importance to my candidacy” and that the 2nd District needs a progressive person who is “not beholden to” any one interest.

“We deserve representation that is inclusive, accessible, and responsive to all community members,” he said. “Sometimes that will mean working with the Chicago Teachers Union and the mayor; “At other times, the board will need to go its own way to best serve our city’s schools.”

So how will the candidates approach the ongoing dispute between Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez?

No one thought CPS should take out a short-term, high-interest loan, as the mayor insisted, to cover the budget deficit. All said CPS should receive at least some of the disputed $175 million pension payment.

Should Martinez keep his job?

“yes, right now,” Cullerton Hooper said at a recent Chalkbeat Chicago candidate forum. And Leon said “emphatically yes,” adding that “this is being treated almost like a banana republic.”

Doyle said he would keep him for stability’s sake.

“There’s room for improvement, but my assessment is that he’s done a good job overall,” Doyle said.

DeBerry said he didn’t have enough information to answer.

“Because I work with schools and principals in my day job, I know principals have been preparing for this shortage for months, and it’s really hard to discern leadership across the board that has dropped the ball and not prepared for this moment.” he said. “And that’s why I say I don’t know enough, because I think there’s too much shared responsibility.”