Everything to know about the Chicago school board elections
How does the 2026 Chicago School Board election work?
All eligible voters in the city of Chicago can vote.
Each board member must live in the subdistrict they represent. Each subdistrict will be represented by one member elected in the 2026 general election.
The board terms will be staggered:
A member elected in the 2026 general election to fill the expired term of an appointed member will serve a two-year term beginning Jan. 15, 2027.
A member elected at the 2026 general election to fill the expired term of an elected member will serve a four-year term beginning Jan. 15, 2027.
For a member elected to a two-year term, the member elected at the 2028 general election will serve a four-year begging Jan. 15, 2029.
For a member elected to a four-year term, the member elected in that subdistrict at the 2030 general election will serve a two-year term beginning Jan. 15, 2031.
What powers does the elected Chicago school board have?
According to the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education, the board’s responsibilities include but aren’t limited to:
- Hiring and evaluating the CEO
- Establishing the district’s direction, goals and priorities
- Approving district policies
- Approving purchasing decisions, contracts and intergovernmental agreements
- Approving the district budget and capital improvement plan
- Approving the school year calendar
- Approving school continuous improvement plans, school actions and school charters and contracts
- Approving the dismissal of probationary appointed teachers, contract principals and tenured teachers and non-probationary educational support personnel
What is the difference between elected and appointed members?
From 1995 until 2025, the mayor of Chicago appointed the school board members. The board was increased to 21 members via a 2021 law.
Beginning in 2025, the board transitioned to a hybrid of some elected and some appointed members. The November election is the first for a full school board in Chicago.