2013 Election Profile: Danielle Paul

Address: 2400 block of Avalon Court, Aurora

Campaign contact information: paulfor308.weebly.com, dmpaul@sysmatrix.net, 630-370-1966

Family: John Paul, Husband; Kathryn Paul, 15 Daughter; Nathan Paul, 13, Son; Christopher Paul, 11 Son; Colin Paul, 8 Son

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Northern Illinois University 1990

Occupation: Cors, Inc. - Recruitment Sales Leader and Project Manager

Why are you seeking office?
I have lived here for almost 15 years and I have four children in the district, from elementary to high school. While there have been some positive changes over the last couple of years, I think there are still some areas that could use improvement. I want to ensure our children get a quality education without homeowner taxes going any higher than they are.

What set you apart from other candidates?

Since I have had students in the district for the past 10 years, I feel I have a good understanding of the issues that are going on at each level, elementary, junior high and high school. I also feel that fiscal responsibility is key to anyone who is elected. The days of the open checkbook spending are over. I have sat on other boards and developed creative ways to bring additional revenue sources to the organizations, or negotiated with vendors in order to save thousands of dollars when negotiating their contract. I feel that I am a good team player and look forward to working with the administration in improving our district.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

I feel that it is very important that the district maintains a consistency of their policies across the district. I feel that the board should review policies across the district to ensure we have set policies that are fair and equitable. These policies should focus on everything from travel to discipline to one set of educational materials. It is important from the top down at the district that everyone understands their roles, duties and limitations. Our goal is to provide the best quality education to the students of the district regardless of the school they attend.

What do you consider to be the main issues facing the Oswego 308 School District today?

I feel a couple of main issues facing the district are revenue generation and spending. We can't count on the funds being provided by the state. The homeowners have seen a number of tax increases and we can't always ask our homeowners for more money. We need to make sure that every penny that is being spent has a return. We need to think outside the box for additional sources of revenue. We need to ensure that all of the programs being provided to the district are appropriate and are worth the investment. If a program is not successful we need to find a way to make it successful. We can no longer sit back and wait for it to get better on its own. We need to provide our students with all of the tools possible to be successful

How do you feel about the proposed school sales tax for District 308 and Kendall County? Would you support it?

It is important for the district to explore all options for bringing in additional revenue. We can not continue to ask our homeowners to shoulder all of the burden as the state continues to cut. The district has grown very quickly over the past 15 years and that has left a lot of debt for us to have to pay off. I think we should look at any option for generating additional income to lower the long term debt and find new sources for operating funds.

What suggestions do you have in the future for re-drawing boundary lines for schools as the district continues to grow?

This subject has long been an area that causes a lot of stress within the district. Again, I think we have to be as fair as possible when considering re-drawing boundary lines, but we have to remember you will never please everyone all of the time. If I were to get on the board, I would do my best to consider the suggestions of the parents, however, when it comes down to it the board's duty is to do what is best for the children in providing them with a quality education. I think everyone would agree that doesn't happen in a room with 30+ children. I would support sending my children to a different school if it improved their educational opportunities.We have boundary committees that spend a lot of time and effort to make recommendations that are fair and reasonable.  I would very likely follow the recommendations of this group.