Meet District 303 School Board Candidate Eric Missil

Name: Eric Missil

Age: 48

Town of residence: St. Charles

Position sought: Board of Education, CUSD 303

Family: Wife, child, dog

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No

Education:

MBA, Finance DePaul University – 1998
BS, Finance University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – 1991
Certified Public Accountant – 2008

Occupation:

Finance Manager, Fortune Global 100 Company: 10 years
Adjunct Professor, Chicago based University: 18 years

Previous or current election experience:

None

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it: Improving the academic performance of the District. Even though our average ACT test scores reached a four-year high of 23.8, we need to strive to do better. When I benchmark our results to other towns I consider comparable to St. Charles, we are middle of the road. I found this to be very disappointing. Please reference my web page (https://www.electmissil.com/academic-performance) for specifics. The District will need to increase our average ACT score 1.0 point to be best in class. Our kids will eventually be competing against students from these better performing districts for college admission and eventually for jobs in their career path. We need to properly prepare our kids for the competitive environment they will face.

In terms solving of this challenge, I would rely on Jason Pearson (the new Superintendent) and Jan Geier (Assistant Superintendent of Instruction) to formulate and implement a tactical solution. Their specialty is curriculum. Dr. Pearson’s role is to implement and administer the policies and directions of the Board. He provides the leadership and formulates plans for the District to achieve its operational and strategic goals. I would also like the input from the teachers’ union on what has and has not worked in the Administration’s past curriculum.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?: My priorities and experience. I am the only candidate openly looking to increase our academic performance and curtail unnecessary discretionary spending.

I have eighteen years of classroom teaching experience. I am well versed and experienced leading large organizations. I am very comfortable challenging the status quo, building a consensus, leading change, and innovating solutions. I bring strong financial discipline and knowledge. I am analytical and stress transparency.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?: Currently, we have high taxes and compared to our peers, we have average academic results.

As stated in my previous responses, we need to become more focused on academics. We need to raise the bar and increase our expectations. Our ACT score is approximately 0.5 point below the benchmarked average and 1.0 point below being best in class.

The District also needs tighter scrutiny on discretionary spending. We need to prioritize and spend more effectively. For example, I do not support the recent decisions on the turf field ($1.2 million) or the Norris Recreational Center improvements ($1.9 million). Twenty-year cost estimates provided by the District reflects the natural turf option being $518,000 cheaper. With the Norris Recreational Center, the District should not be in the health club business and this is better served by private industry.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: I would also like to see greater collaboration with the community. The District should develop a master strategy covering a five-year outlook. This needs to be ongoing and not a one-time event. It should outline the expected enrollment, current facility status, future facility needs, average class size, how we measure academic success, and financial impacts. The District needs to build support with the community. Enrollment is declining, state funding is uncertain, our infrastructure will need updating, and property taxes should not be increased beyond normal inflation. Where do risks and opportunities exist?

If you gain this position, what accomplishment would define your term in office as a success?: Decreased property taxes and increased scores on standardized tests.

Please share with voters a story about wisdom gained from a mistake you made in your life or career:

Outcomes in life might not always be what you hoped for. Learn from them and move forward. Make the necessary adjustments. If you make a mistake or the outcome you expected doesn’t materialize, be honest and admit the shortfall. Look to be part of the solution, rather than just stating a problem exists.

Why should voters trust you?: My positions are fact based and not generalized opinions. You will see that I am data driven and stress transparency. Feel free to contact me if you have concerns, questions, and/or feedback. I openly welcome and value your input. Please see my webpage for contact information. I am very approachable and respond quickly.

Share a quote that defines your philosophy: “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” -- Vince Lombardi

What questions should be asked of current government employees accountable to your board?

1. What is our plan to increase academic performance to be in line with our peers?

2. What is the District’s contingency plan for the State of Illinois financial challenges? Approximately 6% of the District’s funding is from the State. The State currently has no budget and unpaid bills keep increasing. There is also discussion about changing how school districts will qualify for state funding.

3. The District recently achieved lower than expected interest rates on its $20 million bond sale. The District received an interest rate of 3.6% vs. the anticipated rate of 4.36%. This will yield savings of $2.8 million over the life of the debt. What does the District expect to do with the savings?

Explain your attitudes toward fiscal policy, government spending and how taxpayer dollars should be handled by your office (or board)? I am an advocate for the tax payer. As I talk to people in the community, the biggest concern they express is the high property taxes.

Our property taxes have outpaced the general inflation rate. I encourage you to go online and look at the history of your home on the Kane Country Assessor website (http://kaneapplications.countyofkane.org/taxassessor//). My house has increased 45% since 2002. General inflation during the same time period is 32%. D303 is the largest component of our property taxes.

Please view the District’s assertion about the low tax rate with skepticism. For the 2016 tax year, D303 has the second lowest tax rate in Kane County. What the Administration doesn’t emphasize is the District has the third largest tax base (EAV) to draw from. In simple terms, this means what the District loses in rate, it makes up in volume. We outpace the Districts with the third (Huntley), fourth (Geneva), and fifth (Batavia) lowest tax rates by approximately $1.5 billion in their tax base (EAV). Remember, a small change in D303’s rate equates to large dollars. The way to reduce this rate is to scrutinize and reduce our discretionary spending.

The strengths of the District is that it stays on budget, maintains high rankings by rating agencies (ISBE score of 4.0 and AA+ bond rating), and will see the majority of its debt retired after 2018.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?: Look at my professional experience and academic credentials. I have long tenure in leadership positions with large organizations. I am experienced in handling budgets larger than D303, I am proficient in handling more than one role (teaching + my full-time job), and I have led numerous large, high impact projects.

The best advice ever shared with me was: Be honest, work hard, believe in yourself, and learn to work with others.

More via Eric Missil's campaign website

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