Here’s what to know about the race in District 1B, including the candidates and their campaign platforms.
The district
District 1B is located on the Northwest and Far Northwest sides of Chicago, covering parts of Albany Park, Belmont Cragin, Dunning, Forest Glen, Irving Park, Montclare, North Park and Portage Park. By racial demographics, the population is approximately 44% Hispanic, 43% white, 8% Asian and 3% Black.
The district boasts 21 schools in all, with more than a dozen elementary schools and seven high schools. In addition to its neighborhood schools, the district has several citywide schools offering career and technical education, fine arts and world language programs, and military and service leadership.
The school board member currently representing District 1B is Jennifer Custer, who was elected by voters in 2024.
The candidates
There are two candidates running in District 1B: Claudia Peralta and Michelle Pierre.
Peralta is the district director for Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-03), and Pierre is an executive at an education nonprofit who unsuccessfully ran for the seat in 2024.
Custer, the district’s current representative, opted to run for school board president before dropping out of the race
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in late August.
Claudia Peralta
What are your top three priorities if elected?
- Fully funding neighborhood public schools so every child has the resources to succeed.
- Protecting immigrant families and expanding special education, bilingual programs and mental health services.
- Keeping public dollars in public schools with greater transparency, accountability and community input.
Do you support continuing the moratorium on school closings? YES / NO
As a CPS graduate and parent, I know how important neighborhood schools are to our families. Closing schools destabilizes communities and disproportionately affects students facing barriers. We must address declining enrollment by investing in local schools, not closing them and ensuring every child has access to quality education close to home.
Do you support the Chicago Board of Education’s decision this summer to budget an additional $150 million in state funding to reverse layoffs and prevent a spending freeze? YES / NO
Both the proposed budget and the amendment that passed put jobs, classroom resources and students at risk. Neither choice was acceptable. We must work with lawmakers, labor partners and communities to secure sustainable, progressive revenue that fully resources every school.
Should Chicago Public Schools continue raising its property tax levy to the legal limit? YES / NO
Continuously raising property taxes places an unfair burden on working families and serves as a temporary fix rather than addressing CPS’ root financial imbalances. We need sustainable, progressive revenue solutions paired with total transparency in CPS spending so taxpayers know their hard-earned dollars are used efficiently.
Michelle Pierre
What are your top three priorities if elected?
- Raise academic achievement, especially in literacy and math.
- Restore trust through transparent, responsible budgeting that prioritizes classrooms.
- Give families real voice and choice while ensuring every student, including students with disabilities, has access to an excellent school.
Do you support continuing the moratorium on school closings? YES / NO
I oppose mass school closings. But an indefinite moratorium removes an important governance tool. With declining enrollment, we must honestly examine utilization, quality and costs. Any consolidation must improve opportunities for students and require transparent criteria and meaningful community engagement.
Do you support the Chicago Board of Education’s decision this summer to budget an additional $150 million in state funding to reverse layoffs and prevent a spending freeze? YES / NO
I support protecting classrooms and avoiding harmful layoffs, but a responsible budget cannot count money that has not been appropriated. The Board should aggressively pursue the $150 million while adopting a realistic contingency plan. Hope is not a sound budgeting strategy.
Should CPS continue raising its property tax levy to the legal limit? YES / NO
Not automatically. Chicago families cannot be the default solution to every CPS deficit. Before asking taxpayers for more, CPS must examine central-office spending, contracts, underused assets and return on the investments the district has already made. I will advocate aggressively for the state and federal funding Chicago students are owed.