Candidates Speak

ST. CHARLES – St. Charles School District 303 board candidates Wednesday spoke on various issues to about 35 parents during a daytime forum.

Topics at the forum, hosted by the district’s PTO, included the district’s enrollment, Common Core and its related testing, finances and more.

There are nine school board candidates running for three seats in the April 7 consolidated election. The five candidates who attended the forum were former school board member Lori Linkimer, newcomers Jennifer Reeder and Lowell Yarusso, and incumbents Kathleen Hewell and Judith McConnell.

The only other incumbent in the race, Nick Manheim, arrived at the end of the forum because of work conflicts. Newcomers Stephen Bruesewitz and Rick Leidig had work conflicts, but Leidig submitted a biography and statement before the forum.

Another candidate, Michael Vyzral, a former District 303 school board member, could not be reached, said Michelle Bancroft, District PTO co-chair.

Nearly all of the school board members mentioned district finances as the biggest challenge facing the school district. The district currently operates on a $205 million budget, and a few candidates mentioned the increasing property taxes going toward schools is putting a strain on families.

Reeder said she sees foreclosures in the district community. With her experience as a workflow specialist for large hospital chains and imaging centers, Reeder suggested doing a cost analysis at the district and finding out how to better streamline and leverage technology.

Hewell said she did not wish to pay increased taxes but said that the district is getting a bang for its buck.

“Our per-pupil cost [$12,021] is below the state average, and our success is far beyond the state average,” Hewell said.

The district is set to retire debt in a few years from a previous referendum, and this will provide further tax relief, Hewell said.

Linkimer said public school districts have to account for all different types of backgrounds and challenges.

“I’m not giving up on the kids; I’m not giving up on the teachers,” Linkimer said.

Going hand in hand with comments about money was an expected decline in the district’s enrollment. Rebecca Miller, a parent of a child at Corron Elementary, said she was concerned schools would be closed and class sizes at the remaining buildings would greatly increase.

Hewell said any talk of school closings is inaccurate and simply rumor. McConnell said she was in support of paying for quality teachers to handle any class size changes.

“A really good teacher could teach 30 children … it’s not ideal, but it can be done,” McConnell said.

Yarusso said any decision related to closing would have to be forward-thinking.

“Our job on the board is to ensure quality education for future generations,” Yarusso said. “We’ve got to start looking forward and seeing what mess is this going to create.”

Manheim, in an interview after the forum, said declining enrollment was the biggest issue facing the district. Leidig in his statement said the two biggest issues were enrollment and Common Core.

The candidates at the forum were asked for their stance on Common Core State Standards and the national standards-based tests being used in the district this year known as PARCC, or Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.

McConnell called Common Core “a moneymaker” and said it wasn’t beneficial scholastically for children. Reeder had a similar view on the issue.

“If you are for Common Core, you have to be for increasing your property taxes,” Reeder said.

On the Web

To see videos of six St. Charles School District 303 School Board candidates, visit KCChronicle.com.

More online

To learn more about candidates running in the April 7 election – and to learn more about referendums that will appear on local ballots – visit the Kane County Chronicle's Election Central website at www.kcchronicle.com/election-central.