Jason Dónes and Carlos Rivas are running to represent District 3 on the partially elected Chicago Board of Education.

Jason Dónes and Carlos Rivas are running to represent District 3 on the partially elected Chicago Board of Education. District 3 is more than 60 percent Hispanic and includes parts of Humboldt Park, most of Hermosa and Avondale, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, Irving Park East and Belmont Gardens. 

Dónes, a former Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teacher from Humboldt Park, is backed by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), which has endorsed a candidate in all 10 races this fall and has poured substantial money into backing its preferred candidates. Dónes serves on the Moos Elementary Local School Council and currently works as chief of people and operations at the nonprofit Beyond100K, an organization working on solutions to the STEM teacher shortage.

Rivas is the current director of public affairs at the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA). Rivas grew up in Humboldt Park and worked at UIC College Prep as a Spanish teacher before becoming an alumni supports and external affairs manager there.

The two candidates are competing for a two-year term on the board, which is phasing in an all-elected board member model. In January 2025, 10 elected board members and 10 mayor-appointed board members will take office, and the mayor will appoint a board president. Early voting is ongoing in the school board race.  

Following the 2026 elections, all 20 board members and the board president will be elected by voters and seated in January 2027.   

The third district race’s fundraising limits were lifted earlier this month after the state elections board determined more than $100,000 had been spent by independent groups to support Rivas. In all but two of the school board races, contribution limits have been lifted as a result of the amount of money being raised. 

The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) Action Independent PAC has spent over $152,000 on digital media and campaign mailers in support of Rivas, and the pro-school choice Urban Center’s independent expenditure committee has spent over $29,800 on campaign text messages and printed media to support him. 

Rivas’ campaign committee has also received $43,400 in individual contributions as of Oct. 17, but more than $31,900 of that came from INCS Board of Directors member Jim Frank, and his wife Karen Frank has donated at least $2,000, according to state board of elections records. 

Overall, Rivas’ Community for Carlos Rivas committee has reported over $59,200 in direct and in-kind contributions, loans and transfers into his committee as of Oct. 17.  

Rivas has reported $15,000 in total transfers into his committee, including at least $13,000 from the INCS Action PAC. Rivas’ committee has also reported a $1,000 transfer from the New York-based Leaders in Education PAC and a $1,000 transfer from the Chicago-based Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance’s political committee.  

Dónes’ campaign committee has reported $237,318 in campaign contributions in the form of direct and in-kind contributions and transfers into his committee as of Oct. 17. 

Dónes has reported $78,000 in transfers and at least $76,106 in individual contributions into his Friends of Jason Dónes campaign committee. He received a whopping $72,000 transfer into his committee from the CTU’s Local 1 political action committee last week.

Dónes also has reported a $2,000 transfer from Rep. Will Guzzardi’s (D-Chicago) committee, a $1,500 transfer from Rep. Lilian Jimenez’s (D-Chicago) committee, a $1,500 transfer from Sen. Omar Aquino’s (D-Chicago) committee and a $1,000 transfer from Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa’s (35) committee. 

Of that over $76,000 in individual contributions, the overwhelming majority — $64,800 — came from the CTU PAC and CTU Local 1 PAC combined, according to State Board of Election records. 

Puerto Rican Cultural Center Executive Director José López has given Dónes at least $1,500, and Theresa Preston-Werner, co-founder of the progressive, climate-focused philanthropy organization 128 Foundation, has given at least $2,000. Preston-Werner lives in California and is married to GitHub co-founder Tom Preston-Werner, who runs an angel investment firm. 

Dónes has also reported $83,212 in in-kind contributions to his campaign, with more than $64,200 coming from the combined efforts of the CTU PAC and CTU Local 1 PAC, which has helped cover field staff, canvassing and campaign advertising, consulting and legal fees. 

The progressive Grassroots Illinois Action PAC has also given over Dónes’ campaign $18,900 worth of in-kind contributions in the form of field staff and field organizing services.