In Chicago Public Schools, leadership doesn’t stop at the principal’s office.
Across the city, Local School Councils (LSCs) bring together principals, school staff, parents, community members, and students to help guide their schools. This unique model of local governance ensures that the people who know a school best have a seat at the table when important decisions are made.
At their best, LSCs are more than advisory bodies. They are partners — working alongside principals on annual budgeting and long-term strategic planning.
For Hamed Flores, principal of Madero Middle School in Little Village, that partnership is essential.
Flores believes that strong schools are built by strong teams. And for him, Madero’s LSC is a key part of that team.
“As principal, I don’t see myself as the one running the LSC,” Flores says. “It’s more about building a team that can work together, where everyone is accountable for both successes and opportunities for growth.”
That collaborative approach is paying off.
Madero’s Involved Families score on the 5Essentials Survey — which was already strong — jumped 16 points between 2024 and 2025, rising from 81 to 97. The increase reflects deep trust and engagement between the school, its families, and the broader community.
Flores is now sharing what he’s learned with other school leaders through The Fund’s LSC Mentorship Program, where he is mentoring two principals as they strengthen their relationships with their own councils.
Principal Hamed Flores of Madero Middle School, 2025
Why Local School Councils Matter
LSCs play a powerful role in Chicago’s public schools. In addition to collaborating with school leaders on budgets and school improvement plans, councils also evaluate and hire principals.
Council members are elected and serve two-year terms, with no limit on how long they can continue serving.
For many Chicagoans, being on an LSC becomes a long-term commitment to their schools. Some parents remain involved for decades — first as parent representatives while their children are students, and later as community representatives to continue supporting the school. Others join multiple councils as their children move from elementary to middle and high school.
2026 Local School Council Elections
Chicago’s latest biannual LSC elections took place on March 18, 2026. They were an opportunity for families and community members across the city to get involved in school leadership.
To support schools through the election season and beyond, The Chicago Public Education Fund (The Fund) offers programs that help principals lead and engage their councils as strategic partners, strengthen council effectiveness, and encourage broader community participation.
Earlier this year, The Fund hosted the LSC Election Accelerator Series, a set of flexible in-person and virtual workshops designed to help principals, assistant principals, parents, and community members reduce council vacancies and increase engagement.
The sessions focused especially on schools with persistent LSC vacancies and low participation. Participants received ready-to-use outreach materials along with strategies to build more inclusive election and participation processes.
The Fund is also continuing to learn from school communities themselves. The organization recently conducted its second LSC Engagement Survey, complementing its annual School Leader Engagement Surveys and helping guide future investments in supports for principals and councils.
Learn More
Interested in getting involved or learning more about LSCs?
Explore these resources:
You can also learn more about The Fund’s work with LSCs in the 2025-26 Program Summary report.