Here’s what to know about the race in District 2B, including the candidates and their campaign platforms.
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The district
District 2B is located on the North and Far North sides of Chicago, roughly covering Edgewater, Lincoln Square and parts of Albany Park, North Park and Uptown. By racial demographics, the population is approximately 53% white, 23% Hispanic, 14% Asian and 8% Black.
The district boasts 19 schools in all, with a handful of neighborhood elementary schools, one K-8 charter school, a regional gifted center and five high schools, including Northside College Prep, a selective enrollment school recently named the top high school in Illinois, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The school board member currently representing District 2B is Debby Pope, appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson in 2024.
The candidates
Three candidates are running in District 2B: Daniel Basco, Kyna Lenhof and incumbent Debby Pope.
Basco is a policy analyst, Lenhof is a political fundraiser and former Chicago Public Schools teacher and Pope is a retired CPS teacher.
Daniel Basco
What are your top three priorities if elected?
- Secure the roughly $1 billion a year Illinois’ own funding law says CPS is owed through coalition building across the state.
- End the annual budget crisis with honest multiyear budgeting.
- Fix the system for kids it fails first: Special education, LGBTQ+ students, English learners and students hit by closures, particularly Black and brown students.
Do you support continuing the moratorium on school closings? YES / NO
Declining enrollment isn’t just a Chicago problem. It’s a national trend. I will address the 20% of schools with fewer than 250 students with honesty and a community-first focus. I will never support a surprise closure. Communities deserve years of notice to shape their own schools and futures. I will partner on plans to grow, and see them through.
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
The board “balanced” this budget with $150 million Springfield never promised. There’s no plan to secure it. There’s no plan for what happens if it doesn’t come. I will never count money we haven’t been promised. I will work all year-round to secure funding from every source. I will budget on reality, not political posturing.
Should Chicago Public Schools continue raising its property tax levy to the legal limit? YES / NO
We are in a budget crisis, and every solution must be on the table. Until Springfield delivers the $1 billion its own funding law says our students are owed, the board has to use every tool it has. But homeowners cannot carry this alone. I will fight for full evidence-based funding and progressive revenue to fuel the education our students deserve.
Kyna Lenhof
What are your top three priorities if elected?
- Safe, equitable and joyful schools built on strong relationships between students, educators, families and communities.
- Pass a responsible and transparent CPS budget.
- Protect Chicago students and families from the Trump administration’s attacks on public education and our communities.
Do you support continuing the moratorium on school closings? YES / NO
Rather than continuing to have the focus on closing schools, we need to work together on how to support and help strengthen the schools our neighborhoods and communities rely on so students can succeed.
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 agree that CPS and districts across Illinois need more funding, but I disagree with the amended budget. Passing a budget based on money that isn’t there puts our schools, communities and city at risk. We must fight for fair funding without borrowing against our students’ future.
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Should Chicago Public Schools continue raising its property tax levy to the legal limit? YES / NO
Before asking taxpayers to pay more through higher property taxes, the district needs to focus on evaluating existing programs, improving efficiency and reducing waste.
Debby Pope
What are your top three priorities if elected?
- Equity of resources and opportunity for students throughout the district.
- Keeping all of our students (especially immigrants) safe because students who don’t feel safe cannot learn.
- Expanding and improving preschool options, particularly for students with disabilities and English language learners.
Do you support continuing the moratorium on school closings? YES / NO
This is a tough issue. The mass closings in 2013 destroyed communities and didn’t save money. We are still paying to maintain unsold buildings. We need to bring communities together to plan for purposeful use of our underutilized schools. Investing in schools and what they need to succeed must be a first step before considering consolidations.
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
The State EBF funding has gone down for the past 3 years. We are only getting 70% of what the state says is our need. Districts around the state are struggling. Illinois is 49th in state funding for schools. We need progressive revenue. If we give up before we try, we definitely will not get what our children need and deserve.
Should Chicago Public Schools continue raising its property tax levy to the legal limit? YES / NO
I wish we didn’t, but until we gain a reliable source of state revenue, we have no choice unless we want to cut services and supports for our children.