Update: Jason Dónes Launches Campaign For Chicago Schools in District 3B
CHICAGO — Jason Dónes, an educator, CPS parent, nonprofit leader, and community organizer, has officially launched his campaign for the Chicago School Board. He kicked off his candidacy with a community canvass across District 3B, which includes Humboldt Park, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, and West Town.
A Humboldt Park native and CPS graduate, Dónes has 16 years of combined experience as an educator and nonprofit leader focused on advocacy for Black and Brown students. Dónes is also an active grassroots organizer — most recently partnering with neighbors to defend immigrant families from ICE, advocate for affordable housing, and push for better-resourced schools across the West Side and Northwest Side of Chicago.
The board oversees CPS's $9 billion budget and makes critical decisions on district-wide policy, school staffing, infrastructure investment, and school openings and closures. For the first time in CPS history, voters will elect all 21 school board seats this November — with big donations expected to top the $13 million spent on the hybrid school board race in 2024. As corporate-backed super PACs and billionaire donors pour into this year’s school board elections, Dónes underscored the importance of community-driven leadership at his launch.
“The school board has real power, and our community should choose who's on it — not a small group of ultra-wealthy individuals," Dónes said. “A board member who’s accountable to their neighbors votes differently on contracts, school closures, staffing, and budgets than someone bought by billionaire interests. Neighbors, educators, parents, and everyday working class people are behind my campaign so that District 3B can have a true voice on the school board.”
Chicago School Board District 3B includes the Humboldt Park, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, and West Town neighborhoods.
Dónes’ platform includes fully funded and fully staffed public schools with social workers, nurses, and librarians; opposing privatization and school closures; expanding the Community Schools model; and ensuring the board answers to working-class families.
"Jason listens intently to parents. He shows up and is consistently supportive. He approaches challenges with a commitment to finding solutions and connecting families to resources, which is exactly what we need in a representative school board member. He leads with integrity and lives his values," said ChiArts parent Isabel Salgado.
More than 559 students at ChiArts faced a crisis in October 2025 when the school’s private operator announced that it would not renew its contract with CPS. Dónes has advocated with ChiArts parents since the closure was first floated through CPS’ eventual intervention to take over the school’s operations. Several ChiArts parents and students were present at the May 3 campaign launch and joint canvass with District 3A candidate Norma Rios-Sierra, held at the United Neighbors of the 26th Ward office (1746 N. Kimball Avenue).
Alderperson Jessie Fuentes of the 26th Ward added, “Our communities deserve a School Board Representative who is accountable to families, neighbors, and the broader community. Jason listens, shows up, and works alongside parents from his leadership as a Local School Council Chair to standing with the ChiArts community fighting to keep the arts a core part of instruction. He understands that supporting students means supporting the whole child and has organized alongside families around housing and the real conditions that impact whether students can succeed. That’s the leadership District 3B needs, and I am proud to support him.”
Dónes is proud to launch his campaign with the support of a broad coalition of elected officials and grassroots organizations, including:
Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03)
State Senator Graciela Guzmán (SD20)
State Representative Lilian Jiménez (HD04)
Cook County Commissioner Jessica Vásquez (D8)
Alderperson & Democratic Committeeperson Jessie Fuentes (W26)
Alderman Anthony Joel Quezada (W35)
United Neighbors of the 26th Ward
United Neighbors of the 35th Ward
Democratic Party of the 35th Ward
See all of Jason’s endorsements
About Jason Dónes
Jason Dónes is a proud Puerto Rican, educator, CPS parent, and community organizer born and raised in Humboldt Park. A graduate of Chicago Public Schools (Horace Greeley Elementary, Newberry Academy, and Lane Tech) and the University of Illinois, Jason spent 16 years working to advance educational equity for Black and Brown students across Chicago. He co-authored Illinois' first culturally responsive teaching standards and currently serves as Chief of People & Operations at Beyond100K, a national nonprofit addressing the STEM teacher shortage. Jason chairs the Local School Council at Moos Elementary, where his sons are students. He also serves as co-chair of the United Neighbors of the 26th Ward that most recently partnered with neighbors to defend immigrant families from ICE, advocate for affordable housing, and push for better-resourced schools across the West and Northwest Sides of Chicago.