2025 Election Questionnaire: Fredda Rodewald, Bourbonnais Elementary School District 53 School Board

Name: Fredda Rodewald

What office are you seeking? School Board Member Bourbonnais Elementary District #53

What is your political party?

What is your current age? 58

Occupation and employer: I am a retired teacher with 31 years teaching in BESD 53. Currently, I am a universal banker at Iroquois Federal Savings and Loan.

What offices, if any, have you previously held? I have not held a political office, yet.

City: Bourbonnais

Campaign Website:

Education: I am a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University. I have bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. I also, independently, achieved my Early Childhood Certification from the Illinois State Board of Education before it was part of most college programs.

Community Involvement: I volunteer by sewing for various causes as the opportunities arise (i.e., bibs, burp clothes for Living Alternatives Pregnancy Alternative Center, cloth hearts for NICU at Silver Cross Hospital). I am also a member of Success by 6 steering committee at the United Way. Other community activities I have been a part of in the past are Gigi’s Playhouse tutor, church youth fund raisers and trips.

Marital status/Immediate family: I have been married to Rob for almost 38 years and we have two adult children.

Questions:

How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?

Being a retired teacher I could talk strategies for days but, that’s not what my job will be as a board member. BESD53 has an extraordinary administrative team and group of educators that maximize the learning impact for our students.

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 is imperative. As a representative of the community I would make decisions based on what the best overall options are. There are things that are necessary for the district to fund, as well as how they are funded. I think our students and families deserve our best effort in budgeting for now and in the future. We as a community thrive when our schools thrive.

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.

Our district administrators have the leadership role in this area.

If you have children, do they or did they attend public school and was that for all of their K-12 school years?

Both of my children attended public school. In fact, they attended K-8 in BESD53 and graduated from BBCHS.

What do you see as the school district’s role in deciding what materials should be available in the library and in curricula?

The district’s role in deciding what materials should be available in the library is much the same as it is in any classroom. There are fundamental things that are needed such as a variety of genres, levels, and content that support the learning taking place within the building. Each library professional has the task of choosing, within the parameters of the district’s policies and practices, what meets the needs of the building’s learners.

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?

The portion that goes to our public schools is the highest part of everyone’s property tax bill, no matter where in the county you live. Bourbonnais, however isn’t the highest. Stepping back and taking a look at what comes from this shared community investment is important. As I stated earlier about fiscal responsibility, we need to weigh the options and make the most informed responsible decisions for all involved.

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?

I taught in the district during COVID and saw first hand how relief money was being used effectively. There were some magnificent upgrades done that the district had been saving to do in the future. They fell under the COVID qualifications so it got done earlier than expected. Our administrators our smart enough not to count on relief money as anything but short term. It will be back to business a usual.

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?

Each community and school district is different. I can only speak to Bourbonnais and striving for a safe learning environment. BESD53, the School Resource Officer and Bourbonnais Police Department have a shared goal of safety and communication between each other. I would hope that providing a high level of safety and security along with communication will continue no matter what the future holds.

What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?

This is for the administration to decide.

What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?

What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?

This is for the administration to decide

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?

As with any type of bullying it should be taken seriously and the policies put in place followed.

Should students be able to use AI in schoolwork?

There is a time and place for the use of AI. The appropriate time would be determined by the administration and teachers.

What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?

The district’s finances are available by contacting the central office. Basic budget items are also available on the district’s website BESD53.org.

How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?

I encourage parents and community members to attend board meetings when possible, utilize the website, join community committees, reply to questionaries and surveys when available.

What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?

I refer you back to my earlier comment on how items should be chosen for a school library.

How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?

This is an administrative decision.

Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?

Of the expected revenue this school year, 74% goes toward salaries and benefits. I think that’s enough.

How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?

I will be most accessible by email, located on the district website.