Jeffery Robert Arulandu, Batavia Public Schools District 101 Board of Education election questionnaire

Full Name: Jeffery Robert Arulandu

What office are you seeking? BPS 101 Board of Education - At Large Member

What is your political party? N/A

What is your current age? 49

Occupation and Employer: Engineer and Caterpillar

What offices, if any, have you previously held? N/A

City: Unincorporated Kane County (Geneva mailing address)

Education: BS Chemical Engineering - University of Illinois

Master of Business Administration - DePaul University

Community involvement: Batavia Youth Baseball - Past Coach

Batavia Feeder Basketball - Past Coach

Batavia BPS 101 Building Our Future Together Committee - Community member

Marital status/Immediate family: Married with 2 children (18 and 16 years old)

Why are you running for office?

I believe in giving back to the community which you live. I have my own personal experiences with public education, as well as acquired professional skills, that I believe can benefit BPS101.

What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?

I immigrated to the US when I was 4 years old and was thankful to have public schools guide me through my early life. I believe this deep respect and appreciation for the importance of public schools will help me provide a perspective and drive to make Batavia schools recognized as one of the best in the country. Also, as an engineer for 25+ years, I have acquired skills such as working with diverse teams, managing budget/timeline requirements, and adapting to resource challenges.

Have you sought and/or received any training to run for your local school board? If so, from whom?

Informational session with current BPS101 administration regarding the mechanics/working of a school board. All candidates attended.

Would you propose any changes to the curriculum? If so, what?

I don’t have any specific proposals for curriculum changes. I would expect periodic reviews of the curriculum by the staff and teachers to ensure it is meeting the needs of our students. I would rely on the advice and recommendations from our staff and teachers (the experts) for any curriculum changes.

Are LGBTQ students treated fairly in your district?

I am aware of incidents where LGBTQ students have not felt that they have been treated fairly. I believe all students should expect and deserve a positive, welcoming, and safe learning environment. As a board member I would work towards this goal.

What is your assessment of how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is handled in your school district?

DEI is one of the most important issues facing our district. I believe it is important to provide students and teachers a positive, welcoming, safe learning environment. The more we include diverse thought and experiences, the better it makes us as individuals and as a community. Our district must do better to promote and execute on delivering DEI. We need to be transparent and communicative on the benefits DEI provides to student well-being and academic achievement.

Do you believe the district needs to make any changes to improve DEI in your district?

Yes, I think by providing safe and welcoming facilities, as well as superior benefits for teachers and staff, we will attract a diverse and talented student and teacher population.

Are teachers in your district paid adequately now and in retirement?

I believe in providing superior benefits and working environments to attract and retain the most talented, diverse teaching staff.

Would you support changes to teacher pay scales? If so, how?

I would support changes to teacher pay scales to make BPS101 the destination spot for the most talented and diverse teachers. This can be done by benchmarking against the best districts in the state.

What is your assessment of the district superintendent’s compensation?

Once again, I believe by benchmarking against the best districts in the state, we can assess the appropriate compensation for the superintendent.

Would you make any changes to how the district superintendent is compensated?

Changes to superintendent compensation should be guided by the goal to retain and attract the most talented person.

Do you support the current superintendent? Please explain.

Yes. From what I know about his background, work history, and experiences I think he is the right fit for the district at this time.

Should schools in your district adopt and teach sex education according to the National Sex Education Standards? Please explain.

Yes. I would rely on national/state standards and the advice/recommendations of the staff to set curriculum.

What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?

I think it was handled the best it could have been. I believe in relying on facts and data and our healthcare professionals to guide us in recommended practices.

What did you learn from the pandemic?

I learned that the isolation was hard on many people and especially students. We must be able to provide the resources and support for those students that need help with academic and well-being challenges.

Are voters that support your district taxed at an appropriate level?

Current taxes seem to support the current needs of the district. The board should always be looking at opportunities to maximize the value of the tax revenue for the benefit of the community, teachers, and students.

Would you support any plans to raise taxes in the district? If so, what should the additional revenue be spent on?

I do not support raising taxes if it does not provide value to the community, teachers, and students.

Would you support lowering taxes in the district? If so, what programs or services in the district would you cut?

I support lowering taxes as long as it does not adversely affect the value we provide to community, teachers, and students.

Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?

YES

What is your position on open, transparent government?

I am for open, transparent government. Transparent communication with reliable information and data, lets us hold government accountable.

Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?

YES