Far Southwest Side’s Angel Gutierrez is headed for re-election to represent District 8a in Chicago School Board race

District 8a neighborhoods: Ashburn, Garfield Ridge, Clearing, West Lawn, Chicago Lawn, West Elsdon

With full campaign coffers and support from deep-pocketed groups that support school choice, incumbent school board member Angel Gutierrez is guaranteed to keep his seat after nobody filed paperwork to run against him.

Gutierrez, a nonprofit leader and Garfield Ridge resident, is running unopposed to represent this district on the Far Southwest Side where 60% of the population is Hispanic — roughly double the city’s overall percentage. Likewise, across the 29 schools in this district, the majority of students, 77%, are Hispanic.

Overall, students in this district are more likely to attend their neighborhood schools than in other communities. For elementary school, 69% of students attend their neighborhood schools compared to 56% citywide. For high school, 28% of students in District 8a choose a local school, compared to 23% citywide, according to data compiled by Chalkbeat.

The area has leaned more conservative than other parts of the city and is home to more families than single-person households. In 2023, voters here heavily favored mayoral candidate Paul Vallas, a former Chicago Public Schools CEO, over Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer. In 2024, most precincts favored Donald Trump for president.

Gutierrez wants to improve special education, increase opportunities to learn skilled trades, and ensure access to reliable transportation, including school buses — proposals he said would benefit students attending their neighborhood schools.

Gutierrez supports continuing CPS’ strategy of allowing families to choose from a range of schools outside their neighborhood. He is endorsed by groups that support school choice, charter schools and oppose the Chicago Teachers Union. He also is endorsed by the Service Employees International Union, which represents thousands of CPS support staff and has split politically with the teachers union in recent years. The political action committees of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and SEIU and other supporters have donated to Gutierrez’ campaign even though he is running uncontested.

He is also the only board member calling for the state to opt into the Trump administration’s federal tax-credit scholarship program, which offers a tax credit for donations made to organizations that grant scholarships for students to attend private schools or to pay for other education needs. Illinois has not agreed to participate.

Gutierrez sends his children to a Catholic school.