The Chicago Board of Education plays an important role in shaping the future of Chicago Public Schools—and your voice matters.

With the November 3, 2026 election approaching, take time to learn about the candidates running for the Chicago Board of Education. Get to know the candidates representing your school’s district, learn about their backgrounds and priorities, and make an informed decision when you head to the polls. The following is a list of candidates provided by the Chicago Board of Elections as of August 24, 2026. Candidate information may be subject to change, so voters are encouraged to check the latest information from the Chicago Board of Elections before voting.

Until recently, Chicago was the only city in Illinois where families had no vote over who ran their public schools. That ends this November.

Since at least 2006, community groups pushed for a school board that Chicagoans could actually elect. Two non-binding ballot referenda, in 2012 and 2015, showed close to 90% of voters wanted the same right every other Illinois district already had.

It took 15 years of advocacy by many different organizations, institutions and coalitions, to become law. In March 2024, Governor Pritzker legislation by the Illinois General Assembly creating a fully elected Chicago school board (building on enabling legislation passed three years earlier). The plan phased in the change: a hybrid board first, then a fully elected board down the road.