Tackling the budget deficit separates these two progressive candidates in the Near NW Side District 3b Chicago School Board race

District 3b neighborhoods: Humboldt Park, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, West Town, Hermosa

Two men who both grew up in Humboldt Park, graduated from selective-enrollment Chicago public high schools, and became teachers through Teach for America are facing off — again — in the race to represent a district that spans from West Town to Belmont Cragin.

Both candidates identify as progressives. Incumbent board member Carlos Rivas Jr. won in 2024 with 54% of the vote. Rivas has taken a more fiscally conservative approach to the school budget than his opponent.

Rivas has support from the Service Employees International Union, which represents thousands of CPS school support staff and has split politically with the teachers union in recent years, charter school advocates, and some Northwest Side officials. He is also endorsed by the Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU political action committee that is heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks and says it aims to engage voters around “effective progressive policies.”

Jason Dónes is backed by the Chicago Teachers Union and several Northwest Side elected officials.

A few days before the election, Rivas responded to the release of records that showed he was suspended from his job at a charter school in 2018 after he became intoxicated at a work event and engaged in “unwanted touching” of a co-worker.

Rivas said the incident happened at a difficult time in his life when he was caring for his dying mother and that he took responsibility for what happened and got help through an employee assistance program.

“I believe in accountability, growth and second chances,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times in a statement.

Schools in District 3b are struggling with teacher and counselor shortages, higher property taxes, and low enrollment amid rapid gentrification. The district includes a mix of 32 schools serving mostly Latino students.

Rivas and Dónes both care about protecting immigrant students from federal immigration agents, supporting more affordable housing, and securing more resources and community partnerships for CPS families. Rivas says he wants less interference from the mayor on the board and to move away from using loans that will increase CPS’ budget deficit.

Dónes, a CPS parent, is looking to increase budget transparency, push for creative solutions within the existing budget framework, and said on our questionnaire that he won’t accept contributions from corporations or “private interest groups funded by billionaires and millionaires.”

Rivas’ outside support is about five times greater than Dónes’. As of last week, more than half of the $502,000 backing Rivas came from the political arm of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools while another $123,000 came from the anti-CTU Common Ground Collective. All of Dónes’ outside support comes from the CTU, totaling about $22,000.