Chicago Board of Education Election 2024
Chicago will vote for school board members for the first time in November 2024. RYH resources, programs, and updates will be shared here.
Election timeline
In November, Chicago voters will elect ten members to serve on the Board of Education. After the election, the mayor will appoint the board president and ten district-specific board members. Appointed members must live in the half of the district opposite (A vs B) of those who were elected. All members will serve a two-year term from January 2025 to January 2027. Voters will elect all twenty-one board members in the November 2026 election.
March 26: Candidates may begin collecting petition signatures
June 17-24: Candidates file petitions to get on the ballot
July 1: Deadline for Candidate challenges
August 29: Deadline for ballot certification (final ballot)
September 26 (tentative): Early voting begins downtown
October 21 (tentative): Early voting begins in all 50 wards
November 5: Election Day
November 6-December 16: Mayor appoints 11 board members
January 15, 2025: New hybrid board begins term
Voter resources
Find your school board voting district
Your district is based on your home, where you are registered to vote.
District-level education data
The To&Through Project at University of Chicago provides data for understanding how students within each district are experiencing our education system.
Campaign donation information
Use these tools to find information about campaign donations.
RYH Election Resources
Other Candidate Guides & Forums
Voter registration
Past programs
Video from School Board Candidate Forum (Districts 5) (10/21/24). View the video.
Video from School Board Candidate Forum (Districts 2 & 4) (10/5/24). View the video.
Video from School Board Candidate Forum (Districts 6, 9, 10) (9/21/24). View the video.
Video from Challenges and Opportunities: A Community Discussion with Chicago's School Board Candidates (8/1/24). View the video.
Video from Meet the Candidates: 2024 Chicago School Board Elections (7/10/24). View the video. View the Companion Guide.
Video from School Board Candidate Forum (Districts 5, 7 & 8) (10/22/24). View the video.
Video from School Board Candidate Forum (Districts 1& 3) (10/6/24). View the video.
Video from School Board Candidate Forum (Districts 6, 9, 10) (9/8/24). View the video.
Watch past videos about Chicago’s Elected Representative School Board (ERSB) on RYH’s YouTube channel.
Video of Spanish Interpretation at Challenges and Opportunities: A Community Discussion with Chicago's School Board Candidates (8/1/24). View the video.
Candidate resources
Interested candidates should explore the information available on the Illinois State Board of Elections and Chicago Board of Elections websites. The Candidate Guide from the Illinois State Board of Elections provides links to the forms required to get started.
RYH programs and resources planned for the year include: candidate education programs; political education programs that will benefit both voters and candidates; a candidate questionnaire and candidate forums; and voter engagement to boost election awareness. Join our mailing list below to stay up-to-date, and sign up for programs on our Events page.
Upcoming programs
Recent news
Sun-Times/WBEZ Candidate Guide
Chicago Tribune, 10/11/24: School board campaign donations top $2.3 million a month before election, as money pours in from teachers union and charter groups
Chicago Tribune, 10/6/24 Parents look for answers at candidate forum after shock school board resignations
ABC-7, 10/5/24: Chicago City Council group, CPS parents concerned amid mayor's plan to appoint interim school board
WBEZ, 10/3/24: Emboldened by CPS strife, CTU critics pour more cash into school board elections
WBEZ, 10/2/24: What do Chicago School Board members actually do?
Chalkbeat, 10/2/24: Pro-school choice super PACs nearly double the money spent so far in Chicago’s first school board elections
WBEZ, 10/1/24: Confused about who to pick for Chicago’s school board? Here’s a list of candidate forums.
Chicago Reader, 9/23/24: Chicago school board elections: what to expect
Chalkbeat, 9/19/24: Explaining Chicago Public Schools: The buildings
Chalkbeat, 9/18/24: Explaining Chicago Public Schools: The types of schools
Chalkbeat, 9/16/24: Explaining Chicago Public Schools: The students
Chalkbeat, 9/11/24: Contributions start flowing into Chicago’s school board race
Chalkbeat, 9/6/24: Chicago’s first school board elections will feature just 1 candidate on ballot for District 5
WBEZ, 9/6/24: Chicago school board elections see big 'school choice' cash donations, including from billionaires
Chicago Tribune, 9/6/24: With CTU and school choice proponents investing in elected school board races, do ‘independent’ candidates stand a chance?
WBEZ, 8/27/24: More than 30 candidates make the ballot for Chicago’s first School Board election
Chalkbeat, updated 8/27/24: Who are the Chicago school board candidates for the 2024 election?
Chicago Tribune, 8/26/24, Froylan Jimenez: Fewer choices in Chicago school board races are a blow for voters
Chicago Magazine, 8/13/24: Schoolyard Fight: The upcoming school board election is shaping up as a battle between the powerful teachers’ union and its well-funded critics.
Chalkbeat, 8/13/24: More Chicago school board candidates removed from ballot
Chalkbeat, 7/31/24: Can a ‘mom from Englewood’ win an elected seat on Chicago’s school board?
Chalkbeat, 7/30/24: Chicago’s school board is changing. Here’s how it can be effective.
Chalkbeat: Here are Chicago's new school board districts (Interactive Map)
Chalkbeat, 7/26/24: Chicago’s elected school board races are narrowing as candidates are kicked off ballot
Chicago Tribune, 7/24/24: New nonprofit and PAC ‘aligned with business community’ launching in time for school board elections
Chalkbeat, 7/16/24: More than $400,000 raised so far in Chicago’s 2024 school board elections
Sun-Times, 7/2/24: More than half of Chicago school board candidates face ballot challenges
WBEZ, 6/27/24: Your top priorities for Chicago’s first elected school board
WBEZ, 6/25/24: 47 candidates file for Chicago school board elections
Chalkbeat, 6/20/24: Chicago’s school board election is coming up. Here’s what happens if a district has no candidates
Sun-Times, 6/17/24: Chicago school board candidates submit signatures: 'It was a hustle'
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