Chicago school board ballot includes a citywide president and 20 district seats

Chicago voters are choosing every member of the city's 21-seat school board for the first time in Tuesday's election. The ballot includes 20 district positions and a citywide contest for president, giving residents a direct role in selecting the full board rather than leaving some seats to mayoral appointment.

The president's race includes current board member Jessica Biggs, former Chicago Teachers Union deputy political director Hilario Dominguez and attorney Victor Henderson. The position carries responsibility for setting the board's agenda. Political action committees and individual contributors have put more than $5 million into that contest, underscoring the attention surrounding the first election for the role.

On the Far Northwest Side, District 1a candidates are Ed Bannon and Margie Luscak, while District 1b candidates are Michelle Pierre and Claudia Peralta. Far North Side voters in District 2a have Ebony DeBerry and Hector Morales as their choices. In North Lakefront District 2b, the candidates are Debby Pope and Kyna Lenhof.

The Northwest Side's District 3a contest features Norma Rios Sierra and Peter Gonzales. Carlos Rivas Jr. and Jason Dónes are running in Near Northwest Side District 3b. On the North Side, District 4a has three candidates: Karen Zaccor, Ellen Sherratt and Angel Alvarez. Ellen Rosenfeld is the sole candidate listed for District 4b.

West Side District 5a includes Aaron “Jitu” Brown, LaPamela Williams and Kernetha Jones. District 5b candidates are Michilla “Kyla” Blaise and Anthony Hargrove. In District 6a, covering downtown and the Near North Side, voters have Anusha Thotakura, Isaiah White and Brenda Lee Anderson to consider. Michael Neal and Brittany Kimble are running in South Side District 6b.

On the Southwest Side, Emma Lozano and Jesus Ayala Jr. are the candidates in District 7a, with Yesenia Lopez and Erika Diaz-Chavez running in District 7b. Angel Gutierrez is the only candidate listed in Far Southwest Side District 8a. Juan Ignacio Gonzalez and Alexander Angeles are running in District 8b, which covers portions of the South and Southwest sides.

Brittany Bailey Preston is the sole candidate listed for South Side District 9a. Far Southwest Side District 9b features Therese Boyle and Katherine Dunneback. In South Side District 10a, the candidates are Che “Rhymefest” Smith and Tameka Walton. District 10b's field includes Connie Anderson, Patrick Watson and Rosita Chatonda.

The election changes how Chicago residents select the people overseeing their public school system. Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed a majority of the current board, while this election puts all 21 positions before voters. For local families, both the district contests and the citywide presidency are parts of that shift in school governance.