Here’s what to know about the race in District 8A, including the candidates and their campaign platforms.
The district
District 8A is located on the Southwest Side of Chicago, covering Clearing and parts of Archer Heights, Ashburn, Chicago Lawn, Garfield Ridge, West Elsdon and West Lawn. By racial demographics, the population is approximately 60% Hispanic, 20% white, 17% Black and 1% Asian.
The district is home to 28 schools, with a handful of neighborhood elementary schools, a scholastic academy, one K-12 charter school and five other high schools, including John Hancock College Prep, one of the city’s 11 selective enrollment high schools.
The school board member currently representing District 8A is Angel Gutierrez, who was elected by voters in the 8th District in 2024.
The candidates
Incumbent Angel Gutierrez is running unopposed in District 8A. Gutierrez is a director at a community-based nonprofit.
Angel Gutierrez
What are your top three priorities if elected?
- Strengthen Chicago Public Schools’ fiscal stability through right-sizing, cost controls, equitable state funding and pension parity.
- Reduce chronic absenteeism and reverse enrollment decline.
- Reimagine teaching and learning with stronger academics, career and technical training, trades, apprenticeships and college pathways.
Do you support continuing the moratorium on school closings? YES / NO
More Top Picks Yoga Pants
Chicago Public Schools must reimagine the district — from teaching and learning to chronic absenteeism, enrollment and our physical footprint. A blue-ribbon commission should examine facilities, finances and student outcomes. Closures should never be a stand-alone budget fix, but every option must be on the table to expand opportunity.
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 voted against the budget because it departed from the plan prepared by district officials and recommended by the superintendent we hired to lead CPS. I also believed adding uncertain revenue was fiscally irresponsible and risked weakening the district’s credit rating and long-term stability.
Should Chicago Public Schools continue raising its property tax levy to the legal limit? YES / NO
CPS should not automatically raise the property tax levy to the legal limit. The district must right-size and live within its means. Since 2019, CPS has roughly 45,000 fewer students but nearly 9,000 more employees. We must align spending with enrollment, protect classrooms and demand greater efficiency.