Chicago School Board Elections

After almost 30 years of mayoral control, Chicago voters will begin electing members to the Chicago Board of Education during the General Election on November 5, 2024. This is the first phase to a fully-elected board in the year 2027.

So how will this work? Chicago was mapped into ten representative school districts by the Illinois General Assembly. School board candidates must reside in the school district they are running to represent. Voters will elect one candidate from their district during the 2024 election. After the election, the mayor will appoint a second board member from each school district and the board president, who can live in any district, for a total of 21 members. 

But there’s a caveat. To widen the board representation, each of the 10 districts was also divided into two subdistricts. The board member appointed by the mayor in 2024 cannot reside in the same subdistrict as the elected member. 

Board members elected and appointed in 2024 will serve a two-year term. The Chicago Board of Education will be fully elected by 2027.

Now is the time to identify your school district and candidates. Registered voters can use the Chicago Board of Elections Voter Information Lookup to confirm your voter registration and find all ward, precinct, and district information, including school board district. Candidates may be found on the Chicago candidate list by clicking the link on the page and scrolling through the ballot offices to school board candidates. 

Find out more about the Chicago Board of Education elections by attending a LWV Chicago Briefing with Becky Vevea, Chicago Bureau Chief of Chalkbeat magazine, on Saturday, September 21 at 10:00 am. Register here. You can also use Chalkbeat’s interactive tool that provides a wealth of information about the board history, district mapping process, and how to find your district.