Election 2011: District 68 Election Candidates on Finances

April 5 is coming up fast. To help you get to know the candidates for the contested Woodridge elections, we asked the candidates for the and the a set of questions. We'll be posting the answers to those questions throughout the week.

What is the biggest financial issue facing Woodridge School District 68 and what needs to be done to ensure a quality education for students in spite of continuing economic challenges?

Woodridge School District 68 is in better financial shape than many districts. While
other districts have faced layoffs, loss of programs and increasing class sizes due
to financial challenges, our district has not had to make drastic cuts due to the 2003
referendum that was passed to raise the tax rate. Since that time, the district has
worked hard to cut expenses, streamline personnel and regulate expenditures.

It is vital that our school district continues to be fiscally responsible and reduce
expenses that do not affect the children and their curriculum. We will need to make
continued progress in providing services in the most cost-efficient ways through
ongoing improvement. Our school district must continue to explore additional ways
to share resources and expenses with other districts. A great example of this is the
recent approval by the school board of the busing contract for the next three years.
The district will be saving about $200,000 a year in busing costs because of the
coordination between Woodridge District 68 administrators, Downers Grove District 58 administrators and Community High School District 99 administrators. All approved a three-year busing contracts from the same company.

The school district is currently in good financial condition thanks to good conservative and prudent fiscal management by the administration. Going forward, we will need to continue these policies and look for opportunities to maximize the effectiveness of our resources. Some of these opportunities may lie in partnering
with local businesses, government and community organizations, plus seeking and taking advantage of grants. The State, the Village, and some of our Citizens are economically challenged. I would like to continue as a member of the team managing the district’s educational funds to provide the best education possible for our children while staying within our financial means and delaying as long as possible any additional tax burdens on the community. 

The biggest financial issue is the failure of the State of Illinois to make timely payments to the District.  District 68 needs to ensure that they continue to take this into account during budget planning sessions and to maintain line item vigilance on a monthly basis.

State aid is the biggest issue at this time. Everyone knows the state is having financial difficulties, and this situation needs to be monitored closely. Right now the district is in good shape financially. The voters were supportive enough to pass a referendum a few years back and the administration and the board have been good stewards of the public's money.

The biggest financial issue facing District 68 and school districts across the country is trying to continue to provide a quality education to students with more limited financial resources. Fortunately, District 68 has a history of being fiscally responsible. By continuing to operate in this manner, District 68 will remain in a good position to overcome the current economic challenges.