Finances and Fiscal Responsibility 

I think with our current economy, rising state taxes, slowing of the housing market and the State of IL struggling to pay our public schools on time, we need to treat our fiduciary responsibility as members of the Board of Education as a top priority.  As a School Board Member we need to ensure we are doing the best job we can do to operate our schools, educate our students at a high level, pay our teachers and staff competitive salaries, and be responsible stewards to our taxpayers in the community.   

I believe the Administration and Board of Education have done a wonderful job addressing budgetary shortfalls due to the State’s lack of timely funding.  I regularly compliment the administration and school board on their efforts and hard work over the past 2 years on this topic.  However, my main concern is that the bond and loan debt this district has assumed has gone from $253 million in 2006 to $323 million in Fiscal Year Ending 2010; this is in addition to the issue we face with delinquent payments from the State and it needs to be addressed quickly. 

We need to change our financial spending patterns of the past and make changes going forward.  Through my more than 20 years of business experience, I believe I bring a level of financial knowledge and diversity of thought that has been missing from the school board for a number of years. I have lived in this school district for 13 years and I want to continue to make it affordable for families currently here and families considering Indian Prairie School District as their future home.  

If elected your school board member I would not support a tax increase or a referendum!

Continue to raise achievement for ALL students in Indian Prairie School District.  I want to see all students reach their full academic potential.

I have worked with the Special Needs PTA and also the Parents Diversity Advisory Council to help raise awareness among parents, teachers, administrators and school board members regarding the need to continue to explore ways to help not only those children who are struggling but also those children who are doing well but could be challenged to do even better. 

I am pleased the Board of Education and Administration has set goals to help all students improve academically.  However, it is getting more difficult year-after-year to meet these goals and maintain adequate yearly progress which is what the federal government uses to measure our school district.  We need to improve at working with administrators and teachers to get more parents involved to help each and every student. 

I am so happy in the past couple years IPSD has been so much better in communication.  Now it is time to take it to the next level.

We are the third largest school district in Illinois with 29,500 students, yet when I go to a school board meeting I find only a handful of people in attendance.  I understand that we have jobs (many people hold more than one job) and obligations and commitments, but I believe even a slight increase in parental involvement will yield exponential results for our district.  Involved and engaged parents have made this district what it is today. 

Many of us moved here for the same reason; the schools.  There are amazing parents and residents in Indian Prairie School District that volunteer so much of their time and for that I thank you personally because you make this school district work .  I hope to increase this involvement because nothing but amazing things can come of it.  In the end our children win and we all win.