👢 Chicago Gen Z bar looks go crazy

Back to School — Almost

It’s the last week of summer for Chicago Public Schools students. Here’s what to know before next Monday — including the state of school board elections.

Get your school supplies! Unfortunately, Illinois’ back-to-school sales tax holiday ended Sunday. Procrastinators, buckle in:

• Bookmark it: Here are the official supply lists (divided by grade).
• Freebies: Back-to-school giveaways are coming up tomorrow, Friday, and Sunday in West Town, Hyde Park, and Englewood, respectively.
• Teachers: Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange is hosting a giveaway for educators Friday and Saturday.

This year’s calendar: School in Chicago before Labor Day sounds so, so wrong to an old (okay, 28-year-old) geezer like me. But here we are. Monday kicks off a school year with 176 attendance days. One bright spot for students? Summer break will be longer next year, though it will end in August.

• Bookmark it: Here’s the official 2026-2027 CPS calendar.
• Don’t forget: High school entrance exam registration opens soon. Four of Chicago’s public high schools just ranked among the best in the country.

AI at schools? Last month, the State Board of Education released a 400-plus-page guide for AI in schools, opting to avoid a moratorium on generative AI use. (The guide even included content developed by AI.)

• However: Half of current school board candidates have signed a pledge to limit AI use in the district.

About those elections … The rivalry between the Service Employees International Union and the Chicago Teachers Union is heating up. Each progressive group supports opposing candidates, and SEIU is gearing up to spend an additional $1.1 million in the race.

• Right now: Five candidates are running for school board president. SEIU supports current board member Jessica Biggs; CTU supports its political director Hilario Dominguez.
• ICYMI: The current board recently passed a budget that prevented layoffs — right under the wire.

Cook County Forest Preserves Teamsters on Strike

More than 230 members of Teamsters Local 700 are striking for higher pay at Cook County Forest Preserves. The on-strike workers deal with landscape maintenance, conservation, and more — especially in late summer amid threats of storm damage and high demand for public space. The parties have been negotiating since mid-2025. [Tribune 🔒]

Mayor Walks Quantum Tightrope

What exactly went down at the recent quantum project town hall? On today’s podcast, we discuss what neighbors are asking for, plus the mayor’s response. We’re also celebrating a community journalism program and pitching Chicago’s next great “America’s Got Talent” superstars. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

• Ummm: What exactly IS quantum? [City Cast Chicago 💻]

Cafe May Be Coming to Humboldt Park Boathouse

The team behind Lincoln Park’s North Pond restaurant has proposed opening an all-day cafe at the Humboldt Park Boathouse. Plans also include a beer garden. The spot lost its only food concessions in 2020. [Block Club]

• Just this week: I attended my first-ever show at the boathouse. Well over 100 people turned out to the oft-underutilized space.

Ford City Mall Developer Entices Public Support

Kurv Industrial has added a public park and CTA bus terminal to its $200 million plan to redevelop the Southwest Side mall into an industrial park. Warehouse proposals often cause concern over traffic and pollution, so the goal is to win some public support ahead of a planning commission meeting Thursday. [Crain’s 🎁]

• Reminisce about the last time you visited the mall before it closed for good in June. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

A Search For Obama’s Tan Suit

In the latest episode of Larry David’s new HBO show, former President Barack Obama dons his (in)famous tan suit. But it’s a replica. The real one is missing: reportedly given away when Obama was cleaning out a closet. Now one Chicago reporter is on a mission to find it. [Sun-Times]

• Okay, cute: Tan suits made a pointed comeback at the recent Obama Presidential Center opening. [New York Times]