Here’s what to know about the race in District 3B, including the candidates and their campaign platforms.
The district
District 3B is located on the West and Northwest sides of Chicago, covering parts of Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Humboldt Park, Logan Square and West Town. By racial demographics, the population is approximately 64% Hispanic, 22% white, 10% Black and 3% Asian.
The district boasts 31 schools in all, with neighborhood elementary and high schools, charter options and a number of dual language schools. District 3B schools also offer a wide variety of programs, from career and technical education to culinary arts and hospitality management, military and service leadership, and fine and performing arts paths.
The school board member representing District 3B is Carlos Rivas Jr., elected by voters in 2024.
The candidates
Two candidates are running in District 3B: Jason Dónes and incumbent Carlos Rivas Jr.
Rivas is the director of public affairs for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. Dónes is an executive at an education nonprofit and ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2024.
Jason Dónes
What are your top three priorities if elected?
- Invest in our neighborhood schools.
- Strengthen special education and student supports.
- Protect families from cuts by fighting for progressive revenue. I’ll put parents, students and educators at the table and fight for the resources that make a great public school possible in every neighborhood.
Do you support continuing the moratorium on school closings? YES / NO
Research shows that communities and students suffer when a school is closed. As a teacher, parent, and local school council member, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when communities lose resources and stability. Instead of closing schools, we need to address the decades of disinvestment that caused underenrollment in the first place.
Do you support the Chicago Board of Education’s decision this summer to budget an additional $150 million in state funding to reverse layoffs and prevent a spending freeze? YES / NO
Our district faces a funding crisis solved only with additional revenue and smart spending. People are not okay with further cuts to school staff, afterschool programs and essential services. Board members must fight for state funding owed to our students and push the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share this veto session.
Should Chicago Public Schools continue raising its property tax levy to the legal limit? YES / NO
Raising property taxes puts more pressure on homeowners in neighborhoods already facing intense displacement and should only be used as a last resort. Instead of continuing to rely on families who are struggling, we need to work with state legislators to pass progressive revenue that makes corporations and the ultra-rich pay their fair share.
Carlos Rivas Jr.
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What are your top three priorities if elected?
- Raise reading and math achievement with strong instruction, tutoring and early learning.
- Make every neighborhood school a place families are proud to choose, with special education and mental health support.
- Bring discipline and transparency to CPS spending so resources reach students.
Do you support continuing the moratorium on school closings? YES / NO
School closures can separate children from trusted teachers, disrupt families and leave communities carrying the loss for years. I support the moratorium. CPS should engage families early and invest in stronger programs, safer facilities and thoughtful enrollment plans before any school reaches crisis.
Do you support the Chicago Board of Education’s decision this summer to budget an additional $150 million in state funding to reverse layoffs and prevent a spending freeze? YES / NO
As a board member, I have a fiduciary duty to ensure CPS adopts a balanced budget and complies with state law. Budgeting funding that was not guaranteed created unnecessary legal and financial risk for the district and made promises to families and staff that CPS may not be able to keep.
Should Chicago Public Schools continue raising its property tax levy to the legal limit? YES / NO
I have watched rising property taxes push families out of Humboldt Park and Logan Square. CPS should not treat the maximum levy as automatic. We must fight for full state funding, capture available federal dollars and scrutinize spending before asking homeowners and renters to carry more.