Justin Baron, District 86 Candidate

HINSDALE, IL — Justin Baron is one of 10 candidates for four seats on the Hinsdale High School District 86 board. Here are his responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Name: Justin P. Baron

Campaign contact email: justinbaronfordistrict86@gmail.com

Age (as of election day): 21

Town of residence: Darien

Family: My younger brother, Hinsdale South 2020 Graduate, father and stepmother

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education:

Hinsdale South

May 2017

Bachelors in Economics and Finance from Lewis University

December 2020

Occupation: Recent College Graduate

Campaign website: Members of the public or anyone interesting in learning more about me or my campaign can visit my Facebook page: Justin Baron for District 86 School Board which contains my full Policy Positions and Board Commentary

Previous or current elected or appointed office: This is my first time running for office, I have never been previously elected or appointed.

The single most pressing issue facing the school board is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The fact Hinsdale South is treated as a lesser of the two schools by board and the Central population. Hinsdale South’s student population has declined and the student difference between the two schools has increased. This has caused a large difference in curriculum which in turn leaves the students at South with less choices in class selection than Central students. The declining enrollment there requires less teachers and staff which have corresponded with further cuts to curriculum. When I was a student they started forcing teachers to commute between the two schools. Many of my teachers would spend part of the day at Central and part of the day at South. Also courses were starting to be stacked on top of each other. French 2/3/4 were all combined into one section along with German 2/3/4 with the German teacher having to teach math part of the school day. Central remains overcrowded with 35 to 40 students in a classroom while much more unused space is available at South. Class selection is also shown in the science tracks, Central parents had the choice between taking physics or biology first. While South parents did not have that choice. I intend to change the attendance zone to have more children who would have gone to Central go to South.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am a product of the school board’s failed policies and public ignorance. During my time at Hinsdale South the board’s ignorance spilled over in the fall of 2016 during teacher contract negotiations with the teachers union hours away from going on strike. That experience forced me to become informed with local politics, and that drive carried with me to where I am today. Even though I am young I believe I have the ideas, drive and grit to lead the community.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board failed the community or district?

The current board has failed to acknowledge the community's pleas to fix the enrollment imbalance. It instead turned to fear and greed to distract the community from the enrollment imbalance and buffer zone controversy to focus on school improvements. The board’s threats during that time put undue stress on parents and students who were concerned about their futures. I cannot sit on the sidelines and let them continue this abuse without me taking action.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

The state is bankrupt. In my opinion it is the biggest budgetary concern in the next 4 years. The state's financial position requires it to pass further cuts down to the local level and forces the district to pay for the new mandates the state legislature imposes on them. I think Hinsdale 86 is lucky because we have the resources to weather the downturn. We just have to be prepared to use them.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I was a student at Hinsdale South I graduated in 2017 and I was a swimming and water polo player for all 4 years, along with running Cross Country my senior year. Hinsdale South does a great job at preparing its students for college and I want to be there to ensure the whole district’s continued success.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

My thoughts on the BLM, the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake are not relevant to this position. School board candidates are strictly nonpartisan, and I refuse to be on the record commenting on subjects that do not directly involve the district. I believe out of everyone in this crowded race, I am the best candidate who can serve the community. District 86 equity statement drafted last month, it is a good start to resolving the racial divide in the community, but the board should first commit to diversity and inclusion in its schools. The school board treats its two schools differently with Hinsdale South getting the short end. According to IllinoisReportCard.com Hinsdale South’s student population consists of 57.3% White students and 17.3% Black Students. Meanwhile Hinsdale Central’s student population consists of 68.1% White students and 2.2% Black Students. Along with Hinsdale Central being overcrowded with room for several hundred more students available at Hinsdale South for almost no extra cost.

What are your thoughts on the district’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic? Are you in favor of remote learning, in-person learning or a hybrid of the two? Do you support a mask mandate for students and school staff, or mandatory coronavirus testing for both students and staff?

I applaud the district handling of the coronavirus pandemic. As President Camden and other board members are trying very hard to put students in the classroom, to return to some sense of normalcy which is necessary to maintain the social-emotional health of our students. The board hands are tied essentially, they must comply with IDPH guidelines which has made it hard to further bring in-person learning back. I will continue with the trends that the current board sets on returning to normal as soon as possible. I also applaud the board for resisting moving students back full remote in the face of rising cases. If I was still a student or a parent with a child in the district I would want to go back to in-person learning. I think students will perform best in a normal classroom setting like it was pre-pandemic and I will do everything in my power as a board member to get there as fast as possible. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic is a touchy subject and everyone handles the pandemic differently. Some people continue with life like it is business as usual, while many people have not left their homes in almost a year, so coming up with a one size fits all solution is impossible. I do support a fully remote learning option for parents with safety concerns. I do not support mask mandates, mandatory testing or vaccines (when they come) for students and staff. I believe fears of some should not overtake the rights of another, so a family concerned about lack of mandatory testing, vaccines or masks should not send their children to school. Like I mentioned earlier the hands of the school board are tied, they must follow IDPH guidelines and must act within those guidelines, so for all reality purposes mask mandates, testing, and contract tracing have to be implemented.

Do you believe there is equity between Central and South high schools? Why or why not?

No, there is not equity between the two schools, the board sat back and watched as enrollment slowly decreased there. They are in the process of gutting the school, while Hinsdale Central remains crowded with many classes having upwards of 35 or 40 students. Hinsdale Central offers its students two science tracks while that same offering is not available at South. Hinsdale Central also offers a wider set of unique and diverse classes that South does not because of declining enrollment. If the district is going to properly utilize it’s assets, it must use Hinsdale South to its full potential instead of building up Central. This would have lowered the cost of the referendum and allowed everyone to save money.

What was your position on the $140 million referendum that voters passed in April 2019?

I voted No on both the November 2018 and April 2019 school improvement referendums. They were necessary for both schools, especially at Hinsdale Central, both schools needed a lot of work done to bring the facilities up to standards. I was a swimmer and water polo player at Hinsdale South and I saw the disarray that the school was in. To be honest I did not spend a lot of time at Central visiting as an athlete, but the locker rooms and small pool facility was not adequate especially with a great swim team like Central has. The divers also suffered from the age of the pool with both pools unable to host diving competitions because the pools were too shallow. Hinsdale Central was built in 1950, and received little major upgrades since it was time for a facelift for both schools to maintain competitiveness. The 2018 referendum was unfair to South, there was clearly more room for students at South so more students should have been moved to attend South before upgrades and dollar amounts were agreed on. The voters also agreed because the 2018 referendum voted down by about a 55% No, 45% yes vote. It was not that school improvements didn’t exist, it was that there was room already available for no extra cost at Hinsdale South. After that defeat the board just stuck it’s head further in the sand with former superintendent Bruce Law downplaying the enrollment issue and turning up the fear. They planned to go forward with the referendum whether or not voters approved and gave us one last chance on April 2nd 2019 to ‘wise up’. This new referendum was still unfair to Hinsdale South because it rejected the student imbalance between the schools, instead doing the opposite, expanding Central with the lavious upgrades. More classrooms were going to be added to Central anyways because of the new pool, but other than that no new classroom should be built until the enrollment issue was settled. The district turned up the fear to avoid the issue and used students as pawns, instead of properly utilizing its own existing assets which would have saved taxpayers millions by bringing down the cost of the referendum.

How should school board members handle emails from the public?

I think school board members should be as transparent as possible, answering as many emails as possible. Board members have other responsibilities outside of their government positions so I understand if an email or two is missed from time to time, so I would also encourage the public to submit comments during the school board meetings.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No