"Extraordinary" amount of money spent in Chicago school board election, experts say
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The big money being poured into the Chicago School Board races is closing in on nearly $7 million either directly to the 31 candidates' campaigns or for ads supporting or opposing some of them.
Most of that money is coming from the Chicago Teachers Union or charter school advocates. For the first time, Chicago voters will elect some members of the Board of Education.
But what kind of impact could that level of political spending have on a historic race?
Two education experts who spoke to CBS News Chicago said that nearly $7 million is a lot of money for a school board election, and that kind of money, along with turnout, will make a difference.
"That's an extraordinary amount of money to see put into a school board race, and it's very atypical," said Michael Hartney, a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
Overall more than $4 million has gone directly to the candidates. Of that, more than $1.5 million came from the Chicago Teachers' Union or CTU-funded political action committees.
Hartney has studied school board elections for 12 years, specifically the influence teachers' unions have on those elections.
"When teachers' unions make endorsements in school board elections, their candidates tend to win seven out of every 10 times," Hartney said.
But in Chicago, he added, "at least according to the polls that I've looked at, including one that was released [Tuesday] night, the Chicago Teachers Union, as well as the mayor, are very underwater with the public right now."
But it's not just the CTU funding this race.
Pro-charter school political action committees aren't giving much directly to candidates, less than $150,000, but they have spent about $2.7 million on advertising supporting or opposing specific candidates.
"Advertising is very important in these kind of nonpartisan elections," said Zachary Peskowitz, a professor at Emory University.
Peskowitz has researched advertising in school board elections.
"Increasing name recognition, increasing awareness, getting out the vote, trying to reach voters and mobilize them to participate and vote for their preferred candidate is really important," he said.
That's especially so in a presidential election cycle when voters are being inundated with campaign ads and material.
Voter turnout, or who shows up and votes, also matters.
"It's a big opportunity for the citizens of Chicago to weigh in on what their priorities are," Peskowitz said. "Which vision of the education future of Chicago are they more aligned with and more support of."
For more on Peskowitz's research on school board boards and education, click here and here.
