The Chicago Board of Education will vote on Mar. 26 on whether to appoint interim CEO Macquline King as the permanent leader of Chicago Public Schools. The meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the board’s downtown headquarters, where members will consider approving a contract with King that includes a salary of $380,000.
The decision follows a yearlong national search for the next chief executive officer of the school district, which serves more than 316,000 students. The outcome could shape leadership and policy direction in one of the country’s largest public school systems.
If approved, King’s contract would begin July 1 and extend through June 2029. She has served as interim CEO since last June after former CEO Pedro Martinez was fired without cause.
King was not initially named as a finalist when she applied last fall. However, after candidate names were leaked in November and one dropped out, further interviews led to her inclusion among finalists two weeks ago. Two board members said they received calls from Board President Sean Harden before finalist names were announced publicly, informing them that King would be added to the list with majority support from board members.
Other finalists included Sito Narcisse, former superintendent in Louisiana’s East Baton Rouge Parish schools—who has faced both controversy and loyal supporters—and Meisha Porter, former New York City schools leader who withdrew her candidacy after candidates’ names were announced earlier this month.
The upcoming vote will determine whether King continues leading Chicago Public Schools through the end of this decade.
