>> Chicago voters are set to make history for the first time ever.

Residents will elect members of the Chicago Board of Education ending 30 years of complete mayoral control of the school district or Heather Sharon joins us now to break down the complicated election.

Heather.

So Chicago is the only city in Illinois that does not elect its school board members.

That is until tomorrow.

How had the system been working until now?

Well, starting in 1995, the mayor had complete control of the school district.

And even before that, there was a community commission that would nominate people.

>> Thought to be qualified to sit on the school board.

But again, the mayor would have final say that all changes starting tomorrow.

It is the voters who will have that say, you know, I said the election is complicated.

One kid how is it has it's going to work?

Well, it all changed because of legislation that was passed by the general.

Send me some glee and signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker should over the objections of then Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

But with the support of the Chicago teachers Union, now that legislation divided the city into 20 districts, but only 10 people will be elected again complicated.

This is part of what it's going to be a hybrid transition.

So even though these 10 people will take office in January, Mayor Johnson, a close ally of the CTU will still have the ability to appoint 10 other members from the opposite side of those districts.

He will also get to a point the board president.

So there will be still some level of mayoral control in Chicago of the school district.

Just not complete first 2 years of arrest of this anyway.

So but what about the new CPS board that the mayor just appointed?

Yeah, well, they will only be in office until January when these New 10 members in the mayor's new appointments take office.

Some of them may be reappointed if they live in the right geographically area.

The specific school district.

But it's not clear that anybody any of them will ask to be reappointed or that the mayor will consider them.

They are likely to be among the shortest tenured school board members in Chicago history because whether or not they're reappointed is dependent on who gets elected in the district.

So what is at stake in this election, Heather?

Well, not only will start to the governance of the nation's 4th largest school district be at at issue.

I think many people will see this is a referendum on the power of the Chicago teachers union.

And Mayor Brandon Johnson and whether day have charted the right course for the school district.

They have backed a slate of 10 candidates on the other side is a group of charter advocates, the Illinois Network for charter schools.

They have also backed a number of candidates.

And many of them have been campaigning on an anti Johnson anti CTU Platform.

It will be very interesting to see how that all shakes out in an election that is likely to be decided by just a few 1000 votes at most.

So if you're wavering about whether you should vote, this is a race where your boat will really count.

All right.

So 10 seconds had or will do this again in 2 years when mayoral control in entirely.

What happens that?

That's right.

Well, then all 20 school district, any city school district seats will be up for grabs along with a citywide election for brand new position school board president.

They will all take office in 2027 and Merrill control will finally be Chicago All right, Heather Sharon, thank you so much.

Thanks.

Brandis.

And to find who is running for board of Education in your district.

Check out our online voter guide again.

You can find bio is on the candidates as well