What is Chicago School Board District 6A?
District 6A is the downtown and near-north district of the Chicago Board of Education. It covers Streeterville, River North, the Gold Coast, Old Town and Cabrini-Green, plus parts of West Town, Noble Square, River West, Wicker Park and Bucktown. On November 3, 2026, voters here choose their school board member for the first time, as part of Chicago's first fully elected Board of Education.
Dr. Brenda Lee Anderson is on the ballot for District 6A.
Member, Chicago Board of Education, District 6A
School counts and enrollment from the 2026 Chicago Sun-Times / Chalkbeat / WBEZ school board voter guide, based on Chicago Public Schools data. Chalkbeat's reporting notes 6A has the fewest schools of any school board district. District boundary: City of Chicago, via the UChicago To&Through Community Milestones Tool.
Map of District 6A
The teal outline is the official District 6A boundary (City of Chicago data). Zoom in to find your block, or confirm with the Chicago Board of Elections voter lookup.
Neighborhoods in District 6A
All of
- StreetervilleMichigan Ave to the lake, the river to Oak Street Beach
- River NorthThe river north to Chicago Ave, lake to the north branch
- Cabrini-GreenChicago Ave to Division around Larrabee and Clybourn
Parts of
- Gold Coast
- Old Town
- River West
- Noble Square
- West Town
- Wicker Park
- Bucktown
You'll see the district written as "6A" and "6a"; they're the same place. It sits inside the Near North Side and West Town community areas and overlaps the 2nd, 27th, 32nd, 42nd and 43rd wards.
Am I in District 6A?
If you live between the Chicago River and North Avenue, from the lakefront west through River North and Old Town, you are almost certainly in District 6A. The western edge runs irregularly through West Town and Wicker Park, so the one reliable answer is the Board of Elections: enter your address in the voter information lookup and your school board district appears alongside your ward and precinct.
Schools in District 6A
Fourteen Chicago Public Schools sit inside District 6A: twelve elementary schools and two high schools, including selective-enrollment and magnet programs that draw students from across the city. Chalkbeat reports that none of them is a neighborhood high school with a guaranteed attendance area, which is why so many 6A families leave the district, or CPS altogether, after eighth grade.
Who represents District 6A?
The seat is currently held by an appointed member, Anusha Thotakura, placed on the board by the mayor in 2024. The November 3, 2026 election is the first time District 6A voters choose their representative directly. Because the seat was appointed rather than elected in 2024, the winner serves a two-year term and the seat is up again in 2028.
Three candidates are on the ballot. Compare where they stand and who is funding them →
Why this seat matters
The Chicago Board of Education sets the CPS budget, approves school policy, and hires and evaluates the CEO for a district of more than 300,000 students. District 6A's member is one of 21 votes on every one of those decisions.
"Public education as public as possible."Dr. Brenda Lee Anderson
Dr. Anderson is an education-policy researcher running without backing from major unions or special-interest PACs. She is asking for your vote to bring an evidence-first approach to the board and to put District 6A's students ahead of politics.