Schools

Six Candidates for D-15 School Board

There will be six candidates vying for three seats this April for the Community Consolidated School District 15 board.

Six candidates will compete for three spots on the Community Consolidated School District 15 board in the April election.

The final day to file was Monday and two candidates waited until the final day to drop their election petitions off at the district office. The field features two incumbent school board members – board president Gerald Chapman and James Ekeberg. The four challengers are Scott Herr, Manjula Sriram, Dave Seiffert and Gerard Iannuzzelli. Incumbent chose not to seek reelection.

Chapman has the most experience in education. Before becoming a school board member for District 15 in 2007, Chapman worked for Township High School District 211 for 36 years, including 11 as superintendent.

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"Education has been my career and my life," Chapman said.

The last year has been a controversial one for District 15. The district's superintendent Daniel Lukich abruptly resigned. He was replaced by Scott Thompson.

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A planned $27 million bond issue became a referendum after more than 7,500 residents signed a petition forcing it to the November ballot. The bond issue was defeated by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

Thompson, who joined the district after the bond issue was in play said the district needed only $16 million of the money for capital improvements.

During his time on the board, Chapman said, he has looked at every issue carefully and tried to help the board make the best decision for the community.

Among the newcomers is Scott Herr, an outspoken critic of the district's attempted bond issue. Herr was one of the leaders of the petition drive that forced the bond issue to a referendum.

"I started to look into [the bond issue] and the more I learned the more concerned about it I became," Herr said.

Herr, who designed and developed systems for a large IT organization, has two daughters who attended school in District 15 and now attend Palatine High School. Herr also operates www.d15pie.org.

"District 15 is very good at providing education to the kids," Herr said. "Like any organization it can always improve on the costs side of things."

Aside from District 15's fiscal management, Herr also is concerned about transparency and openness within the district.

"The public may not always like the decision of the school board," Herr said. "But the board should be clear in communicating to the public why a decision is being made."

Tension between school board members has been at times. Among the disputes this year was Quinn's concern that meeting minutes were being slanted. Her concerns led the school board to have the district's attorney look into the matter – a move Quinn did not agree with.

Ekeberg, who was elected in 2007 and is one of two incumbents seeking reelection, said the school board has, at times, been dysfunctional.

"The vote is the vote and then you move on," Ekeberg said. "You don't have hard feelings about it. [Some board members] seem to carry these hard feelings. They won't let it go."

The dynamic of the board changed after the April 2009 election. Ekeberg said for the first two years of his term – before the 2009 election – he was on the losing end of many votes. Ekeberg said board members need to listen to, and respect, each other's opinions.

"You have to agree to disagree," Ekeberg said.

Ekeberg is a family medicine doctor with an office in Arlington Heights who grew up in District 15. Despite the board's issues, Ekeberg said he chose to run again because there is work he'd like to see finished.

Ekeberg said the board's hiring of new superintendent Thompson as well as assistant superintendent for business Mike Adamczyk were important decisions that bode well for District 15's future.

"We are trying to create some stability in the district," Ekeberg said. "It really creates havoc when you do not have consistent leadership at the top."

Ekeberg said with the district's new leadership, District 15 can begin to move forward.

"We need to look at what we can do to best serve the needs of the kids, what we can do to provide the best opportunity for them while getting value for our tax dollars," Ekeberg said.

Candidate Manjula V. Sriram has been an active PTA member and volunteer at school activities. Sriram's background is in business management and she is pursuing her MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management with a focus on finance.

Sriram said several issues, including the bond referendum, had concerned her.

"You can't sit outside and complain," Sriram said. "The only way to help is to be there and try to steer the district in the right direction."

Sriram said she wants to be a voice for parents in the district. She said her and outgoing board member Quinn have similar viewpoints. But Sriram said she would come to the board with an open mind and try to provide a fresh point of view.

"I want to take what I've learned in my career and apply it," Sriram said.

She said it was important that board members "agree to disagree" on contentious issues and allow facts, not emotions or factions, to guide their judgement.

"It should be a fact-based discussion," Sriram said.

Candidate Dave Seiffert has been a Palatine resident for 13 years. Seiffert is a member of the Palatine Plan Commission. He also has served as chairperson of the District 15 Foundation for two years – a nonprofit organization that raises money for the district. Seiffert works in sales for Hudsonville Ice Cream.

"I want to listen to the issues that parents have and try to keep an open mind," Seiffert said. "I will try to get the school board to work a little closer together. There are going to be disagreements. But I'd like to try to bring the board closer together."

On the referendum, Seiffert said the bond issue was "put together haphazardly," but added that the district did have capital needs. He said some of the older schools need new roofs and that the capital needs of the schools have to be addressed if District 15 is going to remain a top school district.

Seiffert said if elected to the board he will keep an open mind.

"I'd listen to the facts and listen to the concerns of parents," Seiffert said.

Candidate Gerard Iannuzzelli has three children in the district attending Stuart R. Paddock Elementary.

Iannuzzelli is director of technology for Des Plaines Office Equipment. He is a member of the Palatine Jaycees and the Palatine Men's Civic Club.

"I believe I can use my experience in leadership and organization to help guide the board and community into making fair and honest decisions as it pertains to our children's education experience," Iannuzelli wrote in a prepared statement. "Generally I am a person [who] looks at the logical way of approaching a situation whether it is a financial matter or for the well being of an individual or group."

Iannuzzelli acknowledged the district has grappled with several controversial issues.

"With all the current controversy surrounding the bond issue and departing board members, we need to regain focus on the future of our children and teachers," Iannuzzelli stated. "Having the community as a partner is how we are going to rebuild trust in the board and its members."


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