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Name: Dave Secrest
Age: 71
Town: Crystal Lake
Office sought: Community High School District 155
1. What skills, qualities or experience do you possess that separates you from your opponents?
In a word, "experience." School districts and boards are operated differently than other organizations. School boards are governed by the School Code as mandated by the state. Consequently, it takes, I learned, at least a full term to start to understand the ins and outs of how the board and district are required to operate. I have that understanding and experience. Secondly, aside from wanting to provide the best possible education and high school experience to all students, I come with no agenda or pet project(s). I am open minded and passionate about my work as a board member. I listen, collect information, ask questions and then make an informed decision when voting that I believe is balanced and in the best interest of the students, the district and the tax-paying community.
It’s absolutely essential that a board member fairly balance the needs of all district constituent’s (i.e. students, teachers/staff, parents and the public) coupled with the laws and policies that govern. It comes back to having experience and also not having your own agenda. I have the experience and that necessary balance.
2. What can School District 155 do and what should it do to ease the property tax burden on homeowners?
As a taxpayer I, too, am frustrated with the amount of property taxes I pay. Property taxes are not the way to fund public education. The lion’s share, 80-plus percent, of the district’s funding comes from local property taxes, with 16 percent coming from the state (which routinely is six mounts or so behind in its payments) and only 3 percent from federal funds.
This is not a new problem for the board, which recently, has taken the several decisive steps to try and ease the property tax burden while still levying and collecting funds necessary to operate the district.
I voted for the following:
• Flat tax levy for the 2015 tax year which resulted in a reduction of approximately $800,000 to the overall tax burden for the community in each of the last two years (2015 & 2016 tax years). It is noted that the district does not determine or set an individual property owner’s tax.
• Property tax rebates:
$2.5 million property tax rebate for tax year 2012
$2 million property tax rebate for tax year 2013
$2 million property tax rebate for tax year 2014
$6.5 Million in total property tax rebates
3. Do you support school building consolidation in the near future? If so when? If not why not?
No, it would be premature and irresponsible at this time without knowing all the facts, weighing the options and having discussions with those that would be impacted.
At its height a few years ago the district had some 7,000-plus students. Today the district’s student population is about 6,150, a drop of 850. Over the next few years, according to the district demographer, the number of students could drop several hundred more. In addition to the four high schools, the district also has two other facilities, Haber Oaks, an alternative school in Cary, and its Administrative Center.
Currently, the board and district administration are gathering information including a recently completed Efficiency and Facilities Study by a nationally recognized outside consulting group that will be a tool to be used in evaluating options. Further personnel and budget reductions ranging from 5 to 17 percent in certain budget areas have been ongoing and will continue, to the extent possible, without impacting student education and learning opportunities.
Closing a school would be a last resort and would not be considered without significant community discussion and input and without implementing other less disruptive changes. At this point, all options will be on the table.
4. What will be the biggest challenge that School District 155 will face over the next four years and how will you meet it?
I believe the district must focus on four challenges, in the near future.
• Reduction in student population: Covered in question No. 3 above.
• Funding: This issue goes well beyond District 155. The district is professionally managed, including its finances, and is currently in good shape with appropriate reserves and receiving “clean” audits. To a large extent, funding policies and formulas are outside of the board/district’s control. We need to be vigilant in advocating property tax reform/reduction as the primary means of funding schools. I believe that some income tax formula would be more equitable.
• Teacher association contract (to be renewed in 2019): I’m optimistic with new leadership on both sides of the table a fair, equitable and affordable agreement will be reached.
• Relevant curriculum: This is something that I feel very strongly about. We do an outstanding job in educating our students as evidenced by graduation rates, test scores and achievement. We do well with our AP and dual credit, but not all students are meant for these courses. There is demand today for students who are “tech savvy” and are learning a skill or trade that requires post-secondary education/training, but not college. I support courses like Project Lead The Way, the Business Incubator and A.V.I.D. Computer Tech courses need to be expanded and we need to continue to be creative and innovative with curriculum to meet the needs as our students prepare to enter the changing world.
5. Do you believe the school funding formula in Illinois should be changed? If so how? If not why?
Yes. Property owners are over burdened. Under the current formula, general state aid is based on student population, and if your population goes down, as District 155 has, so does the money from the state, even though fixed expenses remain the same.
I’m not presumptuous enough to think that I have the answers. Ultimately, any formula for school funding is going to be on the taxpayer’s shoulders, either with a direct education tax or indirectly through other taxes.
I think that tying the funding currently paid by local property tax to some formula attached to the state income tax might have merit and better spread the cost to all citizens on a more equitable bases. There would still be the question of fairness, however. How do you distribute the portion of monies collected via income tax? There would be the argument that if "X$" were collected in a certain school district that that money should be used only for that district, which would perpetuate the equity issue of wealthy vs. poor communities.
There's no question that the cost of education is high. But a significant measure of a strong, vibrant community is strong, vibrant schools. I believe we need to strike a balance that considers both cost and the success of the communities' schools.
6. Do you believe most students are prepared to enter the workforce or attend college by the time they graduate from high school? Why or Why not?
Yes, I do. I also wish that some students were better prepared. The district has a 98 percent graduation rate, which means that of the students starting high school, 98 percent of them have meet or exceeded the established standards for graduation. Further, the district has set a goal to have students improve their achievement on standardized tests (Explore to ACT) from when they entered high school by at least 6 points. Currently, the average improvement is 6.4 points. Nearly 91% of district’s graduates choose to and are qualified to go on to either 2 or 4-year post graduation school. Are the district’s students prepared once they graduate? Yes, they are. That said, not all students are maximizing their potential, but through various initiatives and one-on one-programs, each of the schools is reaching out to and identifying those individual students that need extra support and providing it to them.