What to know about Chicago school board elections

Chicago's first full school board election hits new milestones this week as officials accept final candidate objections Tuesday and decide ballot placement Wednesday morning.

Why it matters: This consequential Nov. 3 election features 10 districts, 21 seats and staggered terms depending on the type of incumbent holding the current seat.

• In other words, voters will need a lot of public education.

How it works: Chicagoans will be asked to vote for two candidates — one for school board president and one for their particular subdistrict.

• The city is divided into 20 subdistricts (identified by a number and letter) where the candidate must live. You can find yours here.
• Most of the 21 races have at least two candidates running, but two subdistricts feature candidates running unopposed.
• So far, five people have thrown their hats in the ring for board president: Jessica Biggs, Jennifer Custer, Hilario Dominguez, Victor P. Henderson and Sendhil Revuluri.

By the numbers: 51 people have filed petitions to run for president or as a board member.

• Yes but: Many could be eliminated through petition and signature challenges that will play out over the next several weeks.
• Board president candidates need 2,500 valid signatures, while board candidates require 500 to 1,500 from residents of their districts.
• The challenges can be costly and brutal. In 2024, a pool of 45 initial candidates [for school board] was whittled to 31 by the end of the process.

The intrigue: As of Monday afternoon, not a single petition challenge had been filed against a school board candidate, Board of Elections officials tell Axios.

Follow the money: Board members get no pay for their service, but spending on the 2024 partial school board races exceeded $13 million. Spending on this wider contest is expected to exceed that, Chalkbeat reports.

• Much of the money came from the Chicago Teachers Union or super PACs funding candidates supportive of charters or school choice.

Friction point: Despite heavy CTU spending on the 2024 election, union president Stacy Davis Gates has warned businessman and Democratic donor Michael Sacks to stay out of this year's race — comparing "billionaire" campaign funds to Jim Crow voting laws, Politico reported.

• In return, Sacks accused Davis Gates of defamation and hypocrisy, writing, "no one in this city is focused more on spending big money on politics … than you do."

What's next: Expect coverage of specific races, campaign spending and more as this historic election unfolds over the next five months.

Editors note: An earlier version of this story indicated that the two subdistricts with uncontested incumbents were on the North Side, but only one is.