Chicago has had a system of “school choice” for decades. That’s where, instead of sending students to schools in their neighborhoods, families can apply to send their kids to magnet, charter, test-in or even other neighborhood schools across the city. 

But change may be afoot. The Chicago Board of Education voted to move away from school choice in a resolution passed late last year. Further complicating the matter, the Board is about to pivot from having appointed members to having elected members, which means that voters will have a partial say in the matter this November. 

So why do some people want to get rid of school choice and others want to keep it? And which students have more to gain or lose if school choice is phased out? 

WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp explains this “very ideologically contentious issue” and what the upcoming election might mean for the future of school choice in Chicago.