Chicago voters to elect 10 school board members. Here's who's on the ballot. - CBS Chicago

By Todd Feurer

November 5, 2024 / 6:12 AM CST / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) – For the first time in Chicago history, voters this year will get to choose some of the members of the Chicago Board of Education, which is transitioning from a board fully appointed by the mayor to a fully voter-elected board by 2027.

In the 2024 elections, voters will elect 10 school board members to the 21-member board, which will take office in January. Mayor Brandon Johnson will choose the other 11 members, including the board president. In 2026, voters will elect all 21 members.

The school board oversees the finances of the Chicago Public Schools, sets school policies and oversees the district's CEO.

The Chicago Board of Education recently underwent a complete overhaul amid a longstanding dispute between Mayor Brandon Johnson and his handpicked Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez.

All seven previous board members resigned on the same day last month, and Johnson named six replacements just days later. The seventh new board member was appointed earlier this week. The new board was sworn in on Oct. 24.

The newly appointed school board president, Rev. Mitchell L. Ikenna Johnson, was forced to resign after only one week on the job, over social media posts featuring antisemitic and misogynistic remarks, as well as 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Some, if not all, of the remaining new board members could stay on the school board in January, when the mayor's handpicked board is replaced with a 21-member hybrid board.

Mayor Johnson could choose some of the current board members to stay in January, but that depends on the results of the November school board election. The board is divided into 10 districts, and each district is divided into two halves. Once each district elects its member in November, the mayor must appoint someone who lives in the other half of the district. The board president can live anywhere in Chicago.

Below are the candidates on the ballot in all 10 school board districts.

District 1 of CPS covers parts of the Northwest Side near O'Hare Airport, including Portage Park, Jefferson Park, Norwood Park, Montclare, and Edison Park. The district has 43 schools. Two candidates are running in the district.

District 2 of CPS covers parts of the North Side in the city's far northeastern corner, including Edgewater, Rogers Park, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Peterson Park, Albany Park, and Andersonville. The district has 37 schools. Four candidates are running in the district.

District 3 of CPS covers parts of the Northwest Side, including Avondale, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, and Humboldt Park. The district has 55 schools. Two candidates are running in the district.

District 4 of CPS covers parts of the North Side lakefront, including Lincoln Park, Lakeview, North Center, and Uptown. The district has 33 schools. Six candidates are running in the district.

District 5 of CPS covers parts of the West Side, including West Town, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, Lawndale, and Austin. The district has 100 schools. One candidate is running in the district.

District 6 of CPS covers parts of the downtown area and Near South Side, including the Loop, Streeterville, West Town, Englewood, Bronzeville, Washington Park, and Woodlawn. The district has 51 schools. Four candidates are running in the district.

District 7 of CPS covers parts of the Near West Side, South Side, and Southwest Side; including Pilsen, Little Village, Brighton Park, Archer Heights, Bridgeport, McKinley Park, and Gage Park. The district has 79 schools. Three candidates are running in the district.

District 8 of CPS covers parts of the South and Southwest Sides; including West Lawn, Clearing, McKinley Park, Bridgeport, Back of the Yards, and Gage Park. The district has 65 schools. Two candidates are running in the district.

District 9 of CPS covers parts of the Southwest Side; including Chicago Lawn, West Englewood, Chatham, Greater Grand Crossing, Ashburn, Auburn Gresham, Beverly, Mount Greenwood, Washington Heights, Roseland and West Pullman. The district has 93 schools. Four candidates are running in the district.

District 10 of CPS covers parts of the South Side lakefront, including Bronzeville, Kenwood, Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Shore, South Chicago, Riverdale, Pullman, Hegewisch, and South Deering. The district has 89 schools. Four candidates are on the ballot in the district.

Todd Feurer is a web producer for CBS Chicago. He has previously written for WBBM Newsradio, WUIS-FM and the New City News Service.

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