District 15 School Board Candidate: Richard Bokor

Name Richard L. Bokor

How long have you been a resident of District 15? 39 years

Biographical Information (optional) family, profession, background, etc.

• Married to wife Ann for 38 years.
• Three very successful adult children who attended Pleasant Hill, Plum Grove and Fremd.
• Proud Grandfather of six grandchildren ranging from 4 to 12 years old
• 40 year career as an educator. 9 years in District 15, 25 years in District 211, 10 years at National-Louis University as an Adjunct Professor.

Why are you running for the District 15 board?

I have always believed that public education is one of the cornerstones of our great nation.  If public education fails, so will our country.  District 15 is making great progress in reshaping its image.  With a new Classroom Teachers' contract in place, a new Superintendent under contract, and the Common Core Standards soon to be implemented, I would like to continue  to make sure that District 15 keeps moving forward in a positive direction.

What is your opinion on the Early Start/Late Release issue? 

Late-Start/Early Release was a concept that was bargained into the contract that was agreed to by the Classroom Teachers Council and the Board of Education in the contract that was signed in June of 2012 and is set to go into effect in August of 2013.  To the best of my knowledge, a presentation will be made by Administration at the March Board meeting, data will be shown to the public, a BOE discussion will take place, and then the entire Board will take a formal vote on the issue at its April meeting.

What is your opinion on the possible outsourcing of bus services in District 15?

This is an ongoing contractual issue with negotiations currently taking place between the Transportation Union and the Board of Education.  The Board must weigh the issues of child safety, quality of service, and in-house control of staff when examining the bids of outsourcing bidders and potential cost savings.  Currently there are no scheduled negotiations meetings between the two parties until April.

What, if any, improvements would you like to see in the way the board is run?

 Voters elect individuals to the Board of Education, but, when elected, these individuals become part of a seven member team that functions collectively and not individually.  An individual Board Member can't change the district simply because he/she won an election.  The most important thing I have learned in my four year Board tenure is that I must continually listen to and talk with people of varying viewpoints and then attempt to seek compromise solutions to complex problems.

Additional comments and/or information you deem important for District 15 voters to know about you.

BOARD OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:-Master Board Member (highest recognition status by IASB)-Board Political Action Representative for four years-Appointed to the Palatine Citizen Corps Council by Mayor Jim Schwantz-Co-Chair of the Bridge Youth & Family Services 2011 Peter Cunneen Golf Outing and Dinner (major fund raising activity for an organization that works with many children of District 15).-President for eight years for the Sutton Park Place Association.