Chicagoans are already casting ballots in the city’s first-ever school board elections. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Election Day.
The Basics
The city is split into 10 districts this election, and one person will be elected from each district. Mayor Brandon Johnson will then appoint another 11 people to round out this 21-person hybrid school board.
All the seats will be up for election in 2026.
How Did We Get Here?
Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation in 2021 creating Chicago’s elected school board. But organizers had spent more than a decade calling for change after years of mayoral control left some residents feeling left out of decisions affecting schools.
The fate of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez ultimately rests in the hands of the school board. (Antonio Perez / Tribune News Service via Getty)
What Does the School Board Do?
The school board helps set district policy. Their main duties include:
- Hiring and firing the CPS CEO
- Approving the district budget (Remember these first two — they’ll come up later.)
- Approving contracts
- Weighing in on employee disciplinary questions
“Whenever there’s chaos and fighting at the top, people don’t want that to trickle down to the school level, but inevitably it can,” Chalkbeat Chicago editor Becky Vevea told the City Cast Chicago podcast.
Where to Learn More
To learn more about the candidates in your district, check out the voting guide from Chalkbeat Chicago, Sun-Times and WBEZ. And listen to our full conversation with Vevea to learn more about the money and politics at play.
Wait, what about the current school board drama?!
ICYMI: The entire school board resigned en masse earlier this month, and Johnson appointed seven new members. The mayor and district have been at odds over the CPS budget, with the mayor reportedly calling for the resignation of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. (Told you it would come up again.)
It’s possible some of Johnson’s new appointees could stay on the hybrid school board, but it depends on where they and the election winners live in their respective districts.
