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A student sits at her home desk. Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for America
Illinois Could Lose Over $190 million in Economic Activity This School Year Amid Stricter Visa Rules EducationFeaturedImmigration Policy

Illinois Could Lose Over $190 million in Economic Activity This School Year Amid Stricter Visa Rules

As the Trump administration changes rules for F-1 student and H-1B work visas, fewer international students are coming to the U.S., and those here face an uncertain future.
November 10, 2026
People walk into a Chicago school that doubled as a polling place on Election Day. Laura McDermott For Chalkbeat
Chicago voted for its first fully elected school board. What’s next? Education

Chicago voted for its first fully elected school board. What’s next?

The Chicago Board of Elections is still counting ballots in four closely contested school board races, but preliminary results suggest pro-school-choice groups will secure enough seats to gain influence on the board.
, and November 9, 2026
Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for America
Here’s What Brought Some Immigrant Voters to the Polls — and the Challenges They Faced on Election Day EducationImmigration PolicyTop Stories

Here’s What Brought Some Immigrant Voters to the Polls — and the Challenges They Faced on Election Day

Borderless spoke with some immigrant voters on what motivates them to cast their ballot on Election Day despite facing paper ballot shortages at some polling locations.
November 3, 2026
Akilah Townsend for Chalkbeat and courtesy image
Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 7b, Southwest Side EducationLatest

Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 7b, Southwest Side

Read in Spanish. Read in Chinese. This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters. Two Latinas with backgrounds in public service are vying to represent a slice of the Southwest Side that has one of the highest shares of schools with the state’s top two performance designations. Incumbent Yesenia Lopez was elected to the school board in 2024 with the backing of the Chicago Teachers Union and…
November 2, 2026
Akilah Townsend for Chalkbeat
Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 7a, Southwest Side EducationLatest

Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 7a, Southwest Side

Read in Spanish. This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters. In this majority Latino district, a longtime pastor and activist who fought against overcrowded schools in Pilsen and was appointed to the school board by the mayor in 2024 is facing a younger challenger and Chicago Public Schools graduate who worked for a nonprofit after-school program for the past six years. Incumbent board member Emma Lozano…
October 30, 2026
Akilah Townsend for Chalkbeat and courtesy image
Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 3a, Logan Square, Albany Park EducationLatest

Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 3a, Logan Square, Albany Park

Read in Spanish. This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters. A newcomer building a coalition of support from private donors and charter school advocates is challenging a longtime community activist with ties to the Chicago Teachers Union and Northwest Side elected officials in the race to represent District 3a. Incumbent Norma Rios Sierra, a Logan Square organizer appointed to the school board in 2024 by Mayor…
October 28, 2026
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Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 1b, Northwest Side EducationLatest

Chicago School Board Election 2026: The race in District 1b, Northwest Side

Read in Spanish. This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters. The two women vying to represent Chicago’s Northwest Side are no strangers to politics — one ran for school board in 2024 and the other has run campaigns or worked for other elected officials for more than 15 years. Michelle Pierre lost by a thin margin in 2024, which was her first time running for office…
October 27, 2026