Robert Cabeen

Demographics

Independent

67

Geneva

Bachelor's Degree, Education, University of Illinois

Married, Pam

Phillip

Catherine

On the Record

What experiences do you have that make you a good candidate for office?

I have served on and been president of several boards. For example Baker church, Elgin Choral Union, and my neighborhood HOA. My work as a pilot involved working with and being in charge of the crew, this working together is a useful ability when serving on a board. For this office my degree in education is very helpful.

What are your top three priorities if elected?

First, I will work to have the finest school district that we can afford. Next I will do my best to make the workings of the board as open as possible. Also, I hope to rebuild the trust between the board and the staff.

Would you support freezing your taxing district’s levy until housing prices rebound? Why or why not?

I do not support freezing the levy. This is an overly simplified approach to controling spending and I think the board needs to have all options open. With the debt that the district now has, keeping expenditures in line will be very hard. Also with state mandates being fixed costs any overall cut will fall mostly on regular students. This is not a good outcome.

What one decision by the school board do you most disagree with and why?

It is very clear that in the past (with growth all around) other boards have over built and we are now stuck with the debt form these errors.

What was the biggest accomplishment of the board in the past year?

The current board has kept the quality of our schools at a very high level (as pointed out by the Chicago Magazine)and payed a little extra on the debt. In this economy that is hard to do, and they should be recognized for this good work.

Why should voters elect you to office?

With my degree in education and my life experience I believe I can be an effecitive board member and that I have the knowledge and skill to keep our schools great and hold the line on costs. The education background is very helpful in evaluating what cuts will work and what cuts would really hurt students. I want to save money but not at a heavy cost to students. I have the time and experience to do exactly that.

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