Courtenae Trautmann: Elmhurst D-205 School Board Candidate – Too Busy

Editor's note: The following is a reader's commentary. This is unrelated to Patch's reporting on the race.

Mrs. Courtenae Trautmann, Elmhurst school board candidate, declined to answer our voter questions to provide an overview of her positions and perspectives regarding school board issues. Each of the nine candidates listed on the April 2023 ballot for District 205 School Board positions were asked to answer the same set of questions. As an incumbent, current member of the board, four additional questions about board performance were posed, and also went unanswered.

On February 24, 2023, this community member received a phone call from Trautmann, who took two minutes to explain that she would not be responding to any of the questions below because she was “way too busy” to do so.

Ironically in Trautmann’s Patch.com candidate questionnaire, published on February 23, 2023, she stated, “I am always available to talk to members of our community about issues that are important to them.” Back in 2019, when she first ran for the board, she stated that one of her goals was “…stronger and more consistent communication between the District 205 community, the Board and Administration,” and to “better unify our community.” Members of the community have raised concerns to the board that the administration and board are non-responsive to concerns; and that the community is more divided than ever.

The questions, posed to all nine candidates, which Trautman refused to answer, are as follows:

Question 1. As a school board member, how will you work with parents to further their children's education?

Question 2. Describe what you consider appropriate oversight of curriculum and the role you envision parents having in that oversight?

Incumbent Only Question 2a. As a board member, how have you been responsive to parental requests or needs in regard to furthering their children’s education?

Question 3. Do you believe the current board has adequately enforced its controversial issues policy? What would you do differently?

Question 4. What is your understanding of transformative SEL and do you think that it has a place in District 205?

Question 5. In November 2022, District 205 admitted to falling SAT scores. A year previously, in October 2021, the district laid the blame for drooping academic performance at the feet of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet the district's test scores have been plummeting steadily downward since 2014. What would you do to improve this chronically unsatisfactory situation?

Incumbent Only Question 5a. As a board member, what action have you taken - or proposed - to combat the consistent downward path of academic performance and test scores in the district?

Incumbent Only Question 5b. You were on the PTA Council when it was reported in October 2017 that only 53 percent of District 205's 4th grade students were reading at grade level. What action have you taken - or proposed - (either on the school board or at the PTA Council) to try and improve that dismal statistic in a district that, being economically advantaged to many across the state, should be performing much higher?

Question 6. In November 2018 Elmhurst voters approved a $168.5 million bond issue for District 205. In May 2021, drastic overages were reported, to the tune of $400,000. As of March 2022, the overspending had risen to $18.1 million, and in May 2022, the total over budget had dropped slightly to $17.7 million. That is still more than 10 percent of the referendum budget. What remedies do you propose for this enormous project that is obviously over budget and reportedly behind schedule?

Incumbent Only Question 6a. You told Patch.com that you "have continued to advocate for the on-time and on-budget implementation of our $168.5 million referendum project." Please share how, specifically, you have done so.

Question 7. If reelected to serve on the school board, what is the number one objective that you will pursue and seek doggedly to accomplish during your term?

While Trautmann refused to answer the questions above, we also compared her record to her prior campaign promises.

In 2019, she promised (via the Daily Herald) that she wanted to “focus my efforts” on ensuring that the “District is fiscally responsible with the $168 million dollars the voters overwhelmingly approved...” She also promised that she would “…ensure the goals of this critical capital project [the new schools with referendum dollars] are developed and met as promised.” Those promises were not kept. As noted above, the projects are over budget, behind schedule, and the board has discussed scaling projects back. Trautmann has refused to defend or explain her record in response to our questions on the issue.

Trautmann was also asked in 2019 about Elmhurst’s ever-increasing rises in school property taxes. She stated that, “it would be hard for me to support a measure to increase taxes for our community...” That is another promise not kept. She supported the district’s tax increases multiple times, including the latest maximum property tax increase that the board voted to impose (“Mrs. Trautmann…voted AYE). Due to family commitments, Trautmann did not participate in the League of Women Voters candidate forum, which also raised the property tax and tax abatement issue. Only after public outcry during this election season did Trautmann switch course and decide that she would support a tax abatement. The maximum tax will still be levied; but a portion of it will be used to abate debt that is also paid for by property taxes.

We are disappointed that Trautmann opted not to answer the posed questions nor deliver on past promises.