I served on the Geneva Board of Education from 2007-2011. During that time, I participated in board member workshops and conferences presented by the Illinois Association of School Boards. Prior to that, I was active in the Coultrap PTO, participated in the building task force projects, and attended most board meetings from 2000-2011. I am a current member of a statewide task force charged with identifying and mitigating behaviors and policies that lead to suspension and expulsion in students of color and work closely with the Illinois State Board of Education. I have participated in continuing education through the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Justice. I am the current secretary for the Geneva Strategic Plan Advisory Committee and am a member of the Geneva Beautification Committee and the Historic Homeowners Association. When not volunteering my time, I substitute teach in Batavia. My extensive experiences in working collaboratively on various boards and my desire to continue to be a life long learner make me a good candidate for office.
One of my priorities for the district is to ensure that all students receive a well -balanced education that prepares them for future success. The implementation of the Common Core State Standards and the accompanying new assessment, will provide the opportunity to strengthen the curriculum as student expectations are raised.
Declining property values, a lack of new construction, and approximately $300M debt from previous referenda, have strained the district’s finances. Additionally, the state continues underfunding and the potential pension cost shift could add 2.6 M to the district’s pension contribution each year. We must continue to reduce the debt, whether through restructuring or refinancing of bonds or making thoughtful budget consolidations, without compromising the quality of education.
Effective dialogue with the community, parents, staff, and administration is an important factor in the successful school management. Many issues are polarizing, as seen during the teacher contract negotiations. To engage all stakeholders in the common goal of student success, the district must provide information that is mission oriented and shows data driven outcomes. Ongoing, collaborative, not adversarial, engagement of all parties through meaningful, clear, and accurate information sharing will enable the common values and vision for student achievement to be embraced by all.
School finance is complex. The school board adopts its levy in December based on a budget approved the previous spring for a tax amount that will be determined during the following year. In addition to trying to foresee the current Equalized Assessed Values, the district must also predict the amount of new property growth and the potential loss of revenue if commercial properties successfully appeal their assessed property values.
The county automatically collects taxes for the district’s debt service so any “extra” taxes that are needed to operate the schools are determined during the budget decision process. In order to reduce the burden on the taxpayers, cost-savings targets must be made at that time. I am committed to a thoughtful, thorough evaluation of the needs of the district that will keep our quality of education competitive.
The decision to actively enforce policy 0167.3, Public Participation at Board Meetings, is the one decision with which I most disagree. While this has been a standing policy since 2006, I do not believe it has been enforced until this year. I am sure that the decision to require all individuals who wish to speak to submit a form requesting permission to speak prior to the meeting start was not determined without cause and much deliberation by the board. However, the ability to comment on information presented during the meetings has always been integral to the commitment to open communication with the community. Speaking at meetings is difficult and often unplanned. Limiting impromptu questions prevents the board from hearing feedback from the community. It is sad that the actions of a few have stifled the voices of many.
The board faces many challenges each year. Some of them are easily resolved while others may take years of research and discussion. I believe one of the biggest accomplishments of the board in this past year was dealing with two land issues that were under consideration when I was on the board. The decision to sell the unnecessary Brundige acreage required a review and subsequent revision to the long-term master plan of the district. The decision to demolish the Coultrap facility came after years of dialogue. While I may not agree with their decision on the historic building, I applaud the board for taking action during this tenure.
During my previous service on the board, I asked detailed questions of administration in an attempt to understand the very complex issues that face the school district on a daily basis. I researched issues of which I had little or no knowledge, spoke with constituents to gain insight, and tried to make the best possible decisions with the information at hand.
My experience in the classroom, coupled with my former tenure as a board member, my ongoing professional development, and my deep commitment to education and public service make me a well-rounded addition to this diverse group. I respectfully ask for your vote on April 9th.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I have a background in business management. I have served on the Board of Education since April 2009. I have developed knowledge and understanding of school finance and school operations. The experience I have gained helps me to ask the right questions and make objective business decisions. Having served in various Board positions and on a number of committees I have been able to better serve the needs of our taxpayers, students, and community members.
1. Continue to reduce our debt.
2. Maintain a balance between budget constraints and educational requirements.
3. Reduce operational expenses and improve educational opportunities.
If the tax levy is frozen at the previous years level any new construction tax dollars would be lost or limited thus placing an additional burden on existing property owners. I believe that levying less that the full amount and tax abatement are better options.
I have not taken issue with any decisions since serving on the Board. I have wished some actions may have been modified. However one needs to realize there are six other Board members you need to work with and make the best decisions to avoid gridlock.
Negotiating a new contract with the Geneva Education Association. I believe the contract was fair for teaches, students, taxpayers and our community.
I have worked hard to do a good job the past four years. I have made objective business decisions and always maintained an awareness of fiscal responsibility. I have tried to balance the concerns of all of our taxpayers, students and community members. I believe that the experience and knowledge I have gained while serving on the Board will allow me to become more effective. I will continue to represent the concerns of everyone in our District when making decisions.
I have been a seated board member for 12 years, current chairman of the school district finance committee, previous member of the superintendent’s finance committee, Coultrap and High School advisory task forces, and member of the facility master planning committee. I am a Master School Board member having attained over 300 hours of State Mandated and elective board member training.
My priorities are sustainability in the following three areas; taxes, spending, academics. District spending must kept to a sustainable level so current residents can afford annual tax payments but, at the same time, we must be able to maintain a quality education for our students to adequately prepare them for a future in an ever changing world.
Times and situations can always change, but at this time, I would lean away from freezing the levy. Freezing the levy would be a case of short term gain for long term pain. By freezing taxes short term, a small tax increase may be achieved today but taxpayers will feel the pain as rising long term debt payment requirements will result in a very rapid growth in annual tax burden as early as one year from now. I support the district’s current position of seeking smaller annual property tax increases and crediting back funds that have accumulated as a result of budget cuts/savings to our taxpayers in the form of an abatement. This will allow future long term mortgage payments to remain at a level as close as possible to what is paid today. By achieving slow, sustainable growth today, we can work to prevent large spikes in the future that would not be affordable to our taxpaying public tomorrow.
As a current Board member, there are no decisions that have been made that I disagree with. During my tenure on the Board, there have been times that I have not liked a recommendation that has been brought forward, but I believe that the success of any governing body, as envisioned by the founding fathers of our country, is that through open discussion and compromise, the decisions made by the majority establishes future direction. On all votes, I have been afforded the opportunity to express my opinions and thoughts, but following the vote I have always supported the final decision of the majority and have taken actions to see that the decisions is successful.
By far the biggest accomplishment is the teachers’ contract. The Board and the teachers reached an agreement forming the basis for a contract that is sustainable from a current and future salary basis, and has curtailed/eliminated portions of the contract that are obsolete in today’s world. This new contract agreement was reached without allowing the threat of a strike to weaken the Boards resolve to achieve these goals.
I have lived in Geneva almost my entire life and am a product of the Geneva school system. Twelve years ago, I set out to give something back to the community that provided me with the skills and knowledge that I have used to become a successful business person and a contributing member of this community. During my tenure, I have both agreed and disagreed with the ideas put forward by School Administration, and have collaborated with many different Board Members to move ideas forward that have been very good for the stakeholders and most importantly, the children of Community School District #304. I believe that voters should re-elect me to the School Board because of my knowledge and experiences as a Board Member as well as my long-term residency in Geneva.
I believe I have specific skills including financial and leadership skills that would benefit the Geneva School District greatly. I have a finance degree from the University of Illinois and have passed the CPA exam, so my educational background lends itself to understanding the important financial aspects of the District. My 21 years of executive leadership at Nuveen Investments, a market leader in municipal bond investments, has given me extensive knowledge of public municipal finance. My in-depth knowledge of the bond market will be an asset for the School Board. I have lived in Geneva for almost 21 years and my two sons entered the School District in kindergarten. Over that time, I have had the opportunity to meet a large number of Geneva residents through school activities as well as my involvement in youth sports activities. I was a Geneva Baseball Board Member for 4 years including Commissioner for 2 and coached both baseball and basketball for over 12 years. I am also a current member of the Geneva Academic Foundation. I believe I understand and connect with a large amount of families and residents in Geneva and would serve them well as a Geneva School Board Member.
Aggressively reduce long-term debt by continuing to refund bonds in order to reduce overall debt. I would tilt towards a more aggressive use of fund reserves, potentially to the 30% level, to pay down outstanding debt whenever there is a net savings to the district.
Raise educational achievement expectations for the District by helping young parents understand educational opportunities available to their children. Educational expectations begin with parents. By giving parents of children in the K-3 grade levels the knowledge of how they can interact with the School District and how they can be involved in their child’s education is critical to raising educational expectations. The District should also set specific, measurable goals throughout all grade levels within the District. One goal should be to raise ACT test scores by 5% over the next 5 years and be in the top 10 ACT scores for Illinois public high schools in 10 years.
Ensure community support for Geneva Schools remains high through School Board leadership. The Board can play an important role in ensuring community support by increasing transparency in which it conducts School District business, encouraging Board Member dialogue at meetings, and engaging community input into critical decisions facing the District.
In my opinion, the levy process is the most misunderstood part of school finance. No, I would not freeze the levy, although I would attempt to limit levy increases. I believe this question really is about limiting property tax increases related to the School District. In order to limit property tax increases associated with the School District, cost containment, delaying certain expenditures, and indentifying additional budget cuts/efficiencies needs to be a high priority in the budgeting process. The annual budget is where it all starts. Exercising discipline within the annual budget process is only part of the story with the real driver of potential tax increases relating to the projected $8 million increase in debt service obligations over the next five years. Debt service falls outside of the levy process so it is not a part of the Board’s levy powers. Aggressively paying down debt where possible needs to be a high priority and would directly help limit future tax increases.
In October 2011, the District’s bond advisor, William Blair & Company, provided a financing update with options for refunding and restructuring debt. One of those options was to utilize fund reserves more fully to abate and/or defease bonds. The Board did abate certain amounts of debt but not at the levels presented by William Blair. I believe a more aggressive approach at the levels presented would have been more appropriate. In addition, total governmental fund reserve balances increased from FYE 2011 to FYE 2012, so that indicates to me that a more aggressive approach would have been feasible.
Negotiating the new teacher’s contract that resulted in a fairly equitable outcome for all parties involved without a disruption to the school year was a significant accomplishment. Establishing a Joint Salary Schedule Study Group to address future contract issues is also a significant part of that agreement. I believe the work of this Group can provide a solid base for future negotiations and help provide a fair recommendation to the Board and Association. Providing a fair recommendation should be evaluated in the context of the overall economy, financial health of the District, and employee’s performance. I believe the creation of this Group will form the basis for such a recommendation.
I have lived in Geneva for the past 21 years and have met many families and community members. I believe people that know me, respect me, and believe I could do a good job as a School Board Member. Instead of me telling everyone why they should vote for Dave Lamb, I would encourage those that do not know me to ask a neighbor or friend. There is a good chance they might know me and could provide an honest opinion. How I have conducted myself as a community member provides the basis for how I would perform as a Board Member. I believe my track record speaks for itself. Again, I would encourage all voters to please find a Geneva community member that knows me and ask for their opinion. If you receive a favorable response, then I would respectfully ask for your vote on April 9th.
I am a municipal bond investment guy by trade, managed billions of dollars of mutual funds and capital, including credit analysis and purchase of school bonds. I currently sell investment management software to municipal credit analysts and portfolio managers, who oversee more than $1 trillion in municipal debt, including ownership in much of the $150 million outstanding Geneva 304 debt. I have read Geneva 304 bond disclosure documents and attended the finance and board committee meetings. I also have been an adjunct professor of finance, investment and computer courses at both college and university schools. I have volunteered as a mentor to gifted math students. I understand what it takes to prepare and teach a class. I have been on condo boards and governance boards of churches.
Budget, communication with taxpayers, classroom technology.
Providing excellent education while being a good fiduciary of taxpayers dollars in job #1. I feel we in #304 have become very confused over the past 4 years by the mismatch of zero growth in staff and enrollment while taxes have climbed. The education budget has gone from $40 million to $58 million, while the economy is stalled, we have that same staff and student numbers, yet can’t seem to explain more spending. This needs to be our top priority in the district after new board members arrive. Communication on budget and all issues, perhaps a simpler format, a summary of spending, more interactive information on the board web page - some big improvements are possible. Classroom technology needs vision from the board for the administration and teachers to bring ideas for innovations in techniques where tablets or other devices can improve collaboration, job preparedness, college prep, improved communcation, study habits and tools for learning in general. Compared to other states and districts, I feel we are behind in exploring opportunities and hope to bring focus to this area.
Yes. Budget discipline won’t come if we don’t demand it. We must face our spending problem and realize we have reached the taxpayers limit on both ability and willingness to accept increases. The levy vote revealed an illusion that people will/can pay whatever is levied, but I say they only pay what is possible, or move; while prices and future taxes spiral lower. Geneva lost 15% population since 2008. Lower demand for housing, lowers prices and tax revenues. I argued for a levy freeze, as did many others. The board voted CPI+1.5% claiming victory that didn’t do the allowed-by-law CPI+3%. With warnings we’d lose that forever. But... we have a surplus of rev over expenses by $3 million last year, why raise taxes to another record level? To make things worse, there was no discussion at the 7-0 vote (when and what basis were decisions made then?) and no explanation as to why the budget wasn’t being cut so we could live with a CPI+0% that taxpayers demanded. Why do I suggest communication poor? several board members said a tax increase is a cut: how? the target budget was shown with an increase in levy by CPI+3% - anything less than that legally allowed “full” increase is a cut - meaning the difference between a big increase and an increase, is a cut - make sense? Not to me either. The only way to get wise about spending is to stop levy increases.
The levy increase. See me previous answer for the why.
A good, fair agreement on a new teacher contract, with a provision for a committee to revamp the step/lane to more closely align with performance based standards -- all this is in flux, so a perfect time to involve a collaborative effort to get groundwork laid before the next contract negotiation. With all the changes, three years doesn’t sound so far away.
I know budgets and know how to teach. I understand the difference between governance and management. I also know how to provide vision, leadership and demand clear, simple answers. I also feel a strong sense of service to students, parents, teachers, taxpayers - to do what’s tough and necessary to be a good steward of taxpayer resources and a good steward of the trust given to the schools by parents, that their kids get the best education possible for the best price.
I have a multitude of experiences that lend to me being a good candidate for office. For one, being in the education profession I understand the education process and the difficult curricular changes that are on our horizon. I could be instrumental in making the transition to a more standardized and accountable curriculum seamless for both the students and the teachers. Furthermore, the fact that I have a masters degree in educational administration and am currently working on a doctorate in educational administration has allowed me to become very informed on the way in which school districts can operate effectively. Lastly, being a small business owner I understand the fiscal responsibility and importance of results oriented practices that are necessary to survive in our current economic climate. Together these experiences have shaped me into a candidate who is qualified to get the job done right.
The three priorities that I have revolve around ensuring that the education Geneva students receive is the best in the area without an excess burden on taxpayers. With my knowledge of the education profession I am acutely aware of the changes that are coming in terms of curriculum and accountability. Therefore my first priority will be to ensure that the transition to a common core curriculum and increases in teacher accountability happen seamlessly and efficiently for our kids. Second, I am passionate about maintaining fiscal responsibility in our district without increasing taxes in the near future. I believe that our $15 million in (tax payer funded) reserves should be used to ease some of the burden on the community until the economy and the housing market get back on track. Lastly, I want to help push the education system in Geneva to better prepare students for the real world. Due to technology many of the careers that we are preparing our students for have not even been created yet. I am a huge proponent of teaching kids the 21st century skills, through technology, that will allow them to adapt and succeed in an ever changing society.
I would support freezing our taxing district’s levy until housing prices rebound. People in our community are hurting right now, and if the school district is truly serving the community, then that needs to be recognized. This means that spending needs to be addressed and other measures should be looked at as well. For instance, the school district in Geneva is in the unique position to actually have reserves and if need be, those should be tapped into in order to ease the burden on the tax payers. The money came from them in the first place. It is no different than the reserves that a family or business has. They should only be used in the toughest of times, until things get better. We can do the same here with Geneva schools until things get better.
One action that the current school board took that I did not completely agree with was the increase of the tax levy by 1.5%. This was done to raise $1.9 million more dollars for operating expenditures. I would have liked to see other options looked at to see if the district could have operated on the same budget that they did the previous year, making up the difference with the reserves that the Geneva taxpayers had already contributed in the first place.
Personally, I think the biggest accomplishment of the school board in the past year was working with the Geneva Education Association to avoid a teacher’s strike in the last round of negotiations. A strike can be devastating for a local community as it pits neighbors against each other with the kids in the middle. The relationship between a school board and its teachers and the community it represents is vital to a successfully run educational environment. This means that all sides need to give, take, and keep the quality of education as the main goal. I know that my expertise can be used to work effectively with all sides in order to get this relationship back to a healthy place.
Voters should elect me to office because I am a candidate who has a particular set of experiences that translate well into a qualified person for the position. Furthermore, I have a unique stake in our local education system. That stake is the fact that my wife and I are expecting our first child in July. My kids are going to attend our schools in the future and I want more than anything to make sure that they get an education in line with the quality of education that has been given to my neighbor’s kids. Our school board needs members who have kids who went to Geneva schools, are currently in Geneva schools, and certainly members who have students who will go to Geneva schools. Doing so would ensure a well rounded approach to policy and I represent the viewpoint of Geneva’s future.
•Budget forecasting and monitoring of National Service Department and Regional office budgets for an international automotive manufacturer.
•Reduced operating expenditures without compromising performance.
•Involved with UAW grievance and contract issues.
•Participated in arbitration hearings.
•Resolved consumer issues that were fair to the parties involved.
•Planned and conducted regional and National meetings.
•Liaison with corporate and outside legal counsel on matters relevant to corporate policies.
•Negotiated vendor contracts
•Maintain or improve the current level of educational performance without burdening the taxpayer.
•Review budget requirements to determine where changes can be implemented, without sacrificing educational integrity.
•Maintain open lines of communication with the taxpayer, district personnel (administration, teachers, support staff, etc.) so that all parties are kept informed of the tasks facing the district.
Given the current state of the economy and the number of taxpayers either out of work or living on a fixed income, it would not be prudent to increase taxes. Everything comes down to the “B” word…”BUDGET”. Just as private industry has had to make difficult decisions during the downturn in the economy, the district will also need to review areas that may require adjustments to be made.
I feel that the decisions made by the current board were in the best interest of the entire district at the time the decisions were made. With that being said, you need to recall the saying: “You can’t please all the people all the time”.
The board recognized that long overdue capital improvement projects needed to be addressed and that monies would have to be expended in order to bring these improvements to fruition. Not having done so would not only have cost the district thousands more in the future, but would also impact the learning environment for the students.
Having worked in the automotive industry for forty plus years and being transferred around the country, you gain a keen insight on what it takes to work with individuals from all walks of life. You realize that one individual cannot become successful on their own. It takes cooperation and agreement from many individuals to build a team that focuses on common goals.
A school district is no different. You have administrators, teachers, support staff and a board. Four different groups all striving to provide a quality education to those that they serve. Having been involved with school districts in Michigan, Texas, California and Illinois, I found that regardless of the school district that our children attended, the focus was always the same, how do we provide a positive educational environment for the children.
