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Name: Jamie Freedlund
What office are you seeking? Board Member - Bourbonnais Elementary School District #53
What is your political party?
What is your current age? 44
Occupation and employer: CFO, Turn-Key Environmental and Founder of Mattea’s Joy
What offices, if any, have you previously held? I am a current board member for BESD #53, but I have not held any other political offices.
City: Bourbonnais
Campaign Website:
Education: BS Advertising - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Community Involvement: - Member of the United Way’s Women United group
- Volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House and Comer Children’s Hospital
- Founder of Mattea’s Joy, a non-profit committed to bringing care, comfort and community to families with hospitalized children (www.matteasjoy.org)
- Active participant and volunteer with my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
- Active member of the Kankakee Area Chamber of Commerce
- Riverside Medical Center Heart Ball Committee member
Marital status/Immediate family: Married to Gary Freedlund. We have four children - Reese (18), Cooper (13) and Kipton (9) and Mattea who passed away in 2010.
Questions:
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
I would like to acknowledge that our district has been implementing successful strategies already for test scores in Reading and Math proficiency. We were recognized just recently in a NPR article ([https://www.npr.org/2025/02/11/nx-s1-5291451/us-reading-math-scores-solutions](https://www.npr.org/2025/02/11/nx-s1-5291451/us-reading-math-scores-solutions)) as one of the top 100 school districts in the nation that have recovered from the pandemic in math and reading scores.
My role as a board member is to support the smart and insightful decisions that our successful administrators and educators are making while bringing in community input to those conversations. I strive to be both a voice of our community and a cheerleader for the stellar work that’s being done by the district.
Fiscal responsibility is an important part of elected roles, and a priority for voters. Do you believe the school district budget needs trimming? Why or why not? If you were to cut, where would you do it?
Fiscal responsibility should always be a part of any healthy organization and I take seriously my role in the oversight of the financial decisions being made by administrators within BESD53. My financial background as a CFO has made me uniquely qualified to ensure that the decisions that are being made regarding budget priorities and expenditures are aligned with what is best for the students within BESD53 - which I believe is a foreshadowing of the success of our community at large.
Illinois, like many districts across the nation, is facing significant teacher shortages. What is your idea to recruit and retain educators, including special education, dual-language teachers, etc.
I have witnessed the challenges that our district has faced in recent years regarding the highly trained educators in special education and other education sub-specialties. I have supported every effort to maintain market-competitive salaries for those positions that require it to recruit and retain the incredible educators that our district is privileged to have supporting the students of BESD 53.
If you have children, do they or did they attend public school and was that for all of their K-12 school years?
I have three current school aged children and they all attended public school for all of their years so far.
Reese - Senior at BBCHS
Cooper - 7th grade at Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center
Kipton - 3rd grade at LeVasseur Elementary
What do you see as the school district’s role in deciding what materials should be available in the library and in curricula?
School districts have a responsibility to ensure that materials available to students are both enriching and educating as well as age-appropriate through trust in qualified staff and, if needed, oversight. We support educators in making those choices with the best interest of students in mind and we also can be a part of support for administration to intervene if an educator is not aligned with what is best for kids in those choices.
Most of local residents' property taxes go to their school districts. Are taxes paid to your school district too high? What would you do to protect the interests of taxpayers?
Education is one of the best investments a community can make. The future of our community can be greatly impacted and enriched when students are educated in ways that prepare them to be good citizens and beneficial contributors - both financially and to the collective greater good of society. If we raise good humans, we will continue to love the community we all share. I continue to support choices that align with supporting the educational future of our community as a whole, which I believe protects the interests of taxpayers.
Most of the COVID relief money from the federal government is coming to an end. What spending adjustments does your school district need to make to address that?
Our administrative team is doing an excellent job navigating the drop-off of COVID relief money.
Should Title IX cover sexual orientation or gender identity? What are your views on the use of locker rooms and bathrooms by transgender students and their participating in sports?
I believe that each child has the right to feel safe and comfortable in the place where they are educated. I will support what is best for each child to that they can be as successful as possible in their educational endeavors, which is sometimes unique for each child’s circumstance.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
1. Continuing actions that are making BESD 53 a recognized and exceptional place for students to learn and grow.
2. Allowing the community to see the amazing work that the current staff, Educators, and Administrators are doing.
3. Maintaining the fiscally responsible choices that the administrators are making - from creating positive and enriching educational environments to building maintenance - they all affect students and are important.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
I support the school district’s current policy of no cell phone usage from bell to bell.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
Cyberbullying and inappropriate content access are not what anyone wants occurring and there are systems in place to address that allow building administrators to work with others in support of protecting all students from these actions and content.
Should students be able to use AI in schoolwork?
I have experienced the benefits of AI in the business world in some, but not all circumstances. However, I am not well-versed enough on the influence or effect of student AI access to know if I would support policy around AI in schoolwork.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
Financial transparency is done best when it is presented in ways that those receiving the information can understand. Although reporting is often made public by all school districts, the key is to have understanding around the why and how of the numbers. BESD 53 does a good job of presenting financial information at public board meetings with accompanying presentations that support how it ties back to the district value of excellence in all we do.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
Parents and community members are always a welcome and important part of the narrative that drives curriculum and policy changes. Their voices echo in the relationships and conversations that our board have within the community. Board members represent our community and I strive as a current board member to bring the values of our community with me in my role.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
Books create a platform for exploration and understanding others that may not be like ourselves. There is a value in our students engaging in content that is rich in experiences, but also very appropriate and suitable to build strong character. Educators that align with the core values of BESD 53 will ensure that this is upheld in the learning environments for students and, if necessary, administration and board action will be utilized to maintain these criteria.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
Administrators and educators are the ones that collaborate together to balance appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels. I have learned in my time as a board member that the positive collaboration between all those working within the district around these issues will foster good solutions for each classroom.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
BESD 53 is an exceptional district that is staffed with incredible educators. I have gratitude to be a part of an organization that attracts and retains such a quality group of individuals.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
I strive to be a very active part of our community with an open and joyful attitude for all that would like to discuss BESD 53.