Q&A with EGUSD Candidate Nikita Kostyuk

Originally appeared in the Elk Grove Citizen on 10/26/16.

The following is an interview with school board candidate Nikita Kostyuk.

1. What inspired you to run for the EGUSD board?
I am a passionate advocate for diversity and choice in education and I wanted to see more of both in EGUSD. I wanted to bring a fresh perspective to the board and to expand educational opportunities for students and parents and to get the community more involved in board actions and decisions. I also saw a lack of accountability and responsiveness in the current school board and found this incredibly frustrating. Parents, students, and taxpayers all deserve respect. The school board ultimately answers to the local voters in the school district and it’s time board members conducted themselves accordingly.

2. What qualities would you bring to the board?
I bring a new vision and a different perspective to the board. I bring youth and dynamism and a firsthand understanding of the needs and concerns of students in a 21st century environment. I bring some desperately needed new blood to the board. I bring experience from both the business sphere and the political sphere as well. I bring a watchful eye, an open ear, and a dedicated heart. I bring an attitude of respect and a willingness to listen to the concerns of parents, taxpayers, and voters in the district.

3. The EGUSD is 320 square miles wide and serves numerous communities like Elk Grove, Wilton, Florin, Valley Hi, and Rancho Murieta. Should school board members continue to be elected by voters at large or only within the candidates’ trustee areas?
We have a very good hybrid system here in Elk Grove. All voters determine the makeup of the school board, but at the same time each geographic area of the district has representation. I support this system. However, if the school district continues to grow larger and larger (which by all accounts seems likely to happen), we’ll probably need to switch to by-district elections where only voters within a trustee’s area vote for that seat. With over 150,000 voters in Elk Grove Unified right now, if we cross the 200,000 voter threshold then by-district elections would become a better alternative.

4. Voters this November will be asked to approve Measure M, a $476 million bond measure that would fund renovations for the EGUSD’s aging campuses. What is your view of this measure?
I oppose Measure M for a number of reasons. First, it has no prioritization or preference for aging facilities. Twenty-four schools constructed in the past fifteen years made the list to receive funds from Measure M. Second, the bond has a time span of thirty-five years. The interest payments on the $476 million debt will raise the cost to over $1 billion. Third, this school bond raises taxes by $38 per $100,000 in assessed value. Taxpayers already pay hundreds of dollars each year and this bond gives them a bad deal. We can do much better than Measure M.

5. There are two public charter schools within the EGUSD. Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis earlier this year attempted to open one in Elk Grove. What is your general view of charter schools?
I’m a strong supporter of charter schools. No better vehicle for choice and innovation in education exists than the local charter school. Because parents and citizens usually start them, charter schools often respond much better to local community needs. They also attract new, ambitious, and aspiring teachers because of the flexibility they offer in the classroom. The school board should encourage these schools and cut red tape to make it easier for parents and organizations to start and maintain them. These schools provide a wonderful opportunity for more choice and freedom for parents and teachers in our education system.

6. The Elk Grove school district has worked for several years to close the achievement gap where whites and Asians have academically outperformed blacks and Latinos. What could the district do to close that gap?
This question ties in with the previous one because a great way of addressing the achievement gap is by opening new charter schools in low income areas specifically targeted to minority students. The strong accountability structure of these schools creates a powerful incentive to produce real results. (For example, if a charter school fails to meet the requirements of its charter, it could face closure.) Minority families strongly support charter schools and there’s a good reason for that. If we open a new charter school in EGUSD, we could go a long way towards closing the achievement gap.

7. What would you like the EGUSD to be 20 years from now?
Twenty years from now, I would like the EGUSD to become a center for diversity and choice in education and I would love for parents to have many different options when choosing how best to educate their child. I would also like to see the district debt free and financially healthy instead of making massive interest payments on a $476 million bond. I would want all constituents to feel welcome at board meetings and to have their voice heard. I would like staff and elected officials to respond to the community and to respect the concerns of parents and voters.