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Health & Fitness

D65 Board Candidate Brady: District 65 Voters Deserve a Choice

I understand what leadership requires. I have an obligation to the citizens of District 65, a duty to keep them fully and accurately informed.

My detractors have found new outlets for their venom.



As I've noted before, their vitriol brings to mind Lincoln's observation that:



" . . . were [ I ] to try and to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business."



I'm glad to suffer their slings and arrows as I understand what leadership requires. Were it just about me I'd be happy to ignore the invective and continue ringing doorbells.  But I have an obligation to the citizens of District 65, a duty to keep them fully and accurately informed.  They cannot refute the facts stated specifically, so they continue to resort to personal attacks.  Their forensic skills are as cartoonish and sophomoric as the popup image of me with which they seek to divert attention from the absolute emptiness of their rhetoric.





Performance



My service on the Board and for the community includes the following:



2012 - 2013  Reduced your property taxes by over $3,000,000



2012  Hired a superintendent whom even my opponents praise in their political promotions



2011  Negotiated a labor contract without even a hint of classroom disruption, eliminating as part of the bargain a longstanding provision that ill served the citizens of District 65.



2012 - 2013  Proudly delivered the most robust, stakeholder-based, professionally developed Strategic Plan in the history of District 65.  The plan provides a framework for future decision-making that builds upon a common mission, vision, and guiding principles held by the District community. The process utilized a broad spectrum of data to result in a Strategic Plan that reflects a shared consensus of stakeholders and serves as a foundation for future decision making.



2008 - 2013  Served as District 65's representative on the NSSED (North Suburban Special Education District) Governing Board, and was instrumental in reducing District 65's financial obligations within the cooperative by pushing for tighter, more transparent and program-based budgeting, and closer Board oversight. 



2006 - 2013 Volunteered my time and supported financially LBMS Spring Musicals, sewed costumes, constructed sets, took photos, planned and served numerous Teacher Appreciation functions, planned and served at countless other PTO events, played a significant role in PTO fundraisers collecting over $100,000 for our schools, worked as lunch mom dozens of times, volunteered as library mom weekly for 5 years, currently serve on the SpeakUp! Prevention Coalition governing board, monthly volunteer at House of Peace domestic violence shelter in Waukegan, have taught Religious Education at St. Patrick's the past 6 years, was Cub Scout Pack 42 Committee Chair, was Cub Scout den leader for 4 years, was Brownie troop cookie mom for 3 years, have been a Mothers Trust Foundation volunteer and committee member (to name a few).



I was proud and humbled to receive a 2011 ICARE award for extraordinary service presented by Lake County Cares.



Despite what my detractors claim, our kids are superior students.  Some years may appear academically better than others (depending on any number of variables) but our students are always high achievers.  Published stories other than the critical posts of my opponents reveal positive school news (example: Comment from the proud father of an 8th Grader regarding Project Citizen and yet another participant in the yearly, National Geographic-sponsored Illinois State Geo Bee.)  The most recent message from District 65 Superintendent carried news that District 65 kids shone at the Students Involved with Technology conference at Stevenson High School.  And last month the Superintendent of Lake Forest High School called District 65's work "impressive," noting the High School stands on the shoulders of the primary school districts.  In November I watched one of our alumni play Cosette in the national touring company of Les Miserables.  Notwithstanding the evidence, my detractors cannot say anything good about our schools.



Caucus



I'm familiar with Local, State and Federal statutes, regulations, ordinances, and legal decisions controlling school governance and find that none suggest, much less require, that a District 65 School Board candidate submit to the Caucus.



In fact, why should any well-intentioned candidate who has the courage, dedication and energy to stand for public office submit?  As my critics note I've twice been before the caucus and twice been recommended.  I expect I would have been recommended this time, too.



But why place filters between me and the public?  I trust the intelligence and judgment of the citizens of District 65.  You need no gatekeepers to democracy. You are eminently well suited to judge the record of my service.  I'm confident you can decide for yourself who has actually been in the trenches.



Finances



My detractors have spent the majority of their energy criticizing the financial decisions of the District 65 Board of Education (decisions made prior to and during my school board service beginning May 2008). Let's consider the actual facts and figures in light of their misstatements, hazy assumptions and faulty conclusions.



A central fact never referenced by critics is that in 2003 District 65 was on a watch list. That means that State government in Springfield (!) deemed us financially unstable. Without improvement we were at risk for a number of sanctions up to and including being taken over by the State.



Consequently, taxes were raised after the community voted to increase the operating tax rate in 2003.  The increase in tax revenues brought the District out of a $1.6+ million dollar NEGATIVE fund balance, and annual deficit spending. From being on the State's Financial Watch List, the District was ultimately restored to positive fund balances.



All District 65 School Boards over the last ten years (during my service and prior thereto) have worked prudently to build and maintain fund reserves to avoid ever again embarrassing ourselves into State scrutiny. In fact, the District attained the highest ranking accorded by the State in 2006 and has held it ever since.



The Board cut your property taxes by over 3 million dollars. You'll see the decrease in your 2013 bill.



Projections from my critics about declining enrollment are fine but they tend to be like minor league baseball prospects: many times they just don't pan out.  In fact, District 65 history teaches that numbers wax and wane.  My management goals continue to include reserves sufficient to meet contingencies (that is, what reality turns out to be, not what my critics hope it will be as they campaign).  If reality proves we can decrease taxes we've already shown we will reduce them!



In Spring 2007 (not 2008) the community voted to replace a 100-year old asbestos ridden, moldy, leaking elementary school with a state of the art facility. This investment was long overdue.



In March, 2008, bonds were issued to pay for the project.  Chapman and Cutler were District 65 legal counsel on the bond issuance, not William Blair.  In fact, William Blair was not even involved at that point; the underwriter was Wachovia. 



Far from my critic's inexplicable description as "strange," the bond issue was rather conventional.  Like all such, it was structured to meet the needs of the individual school district.  Many would argue that the more "traditional" bond structure is ours: higher payments later in the issue in an effort to have level tax rates, not level payments, thus providing stable and predictable property tax bills for homeowners.



The final payment in 2028 is simply the final installment, not a balloon payment. In fact, it is less than the payment in 2027.



Projections regarding property values supported the idea that the debt could be retired based on a steady debt service over the repayment schedule.  But, here again my detractors rely on projections as gospel, notwithstanding that fact that they can prove to be incorrect.  In this case, the projections did not predict the steep decline in property values with the economy over the last several years (in District 65 and throughout Illinois and the nation).



So yes, the Board is continually monitoring the repayment schedule.  But there is nothing sensationalistic in this.  While unfortunate for all of us, for all kinds of reasons, declining property values are simply a part of the economic landscape, for all entities, a fact that the School Board has been specifically addressing since 2010 when public meetings were held in August and September talking about the impact of falling home prices. 



The Board routinely considers the best ways to deal with all financial obligations including the bond debt.  Options under consideration include various methods of refinancing.  AND OF EVEN MORE VALUE: BECAUSE BOARDS SINCE 2003 HAVE HAD THE GOOD SENSE AND FORESIGHT TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN RESERVES, WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY TO EMPLOY THE RAINY DAY FUND TO RETIRE BOND DEBT.  How can my detractors seriously criticize the fact that District 65, through sound financial decisions, now has the benefit of a well-funded savings account?



My critics are at least 2 years behind the curve on the issue and use it now only as a scare tactic.



Structuring the schedule of bond repayment differently would not have saved $5,000,000.  The county extends taxes to meet the annual principal and interest payments on debt.  If the bonds had been structured differently, the extensions would be whatever they need to be to meet those payments.  There would not be "$5 million for educational services."  And in any event it is not legally permissible to shift tax receipts collected for debt service to an operating fund.  Let me be perfectly clear on this point:  Structuring the schedule of bond repayment differently would not have saved $5,000,000 for educational purposes.  Our community deserves better than such intellectual dishonesty.

 

Another of my critics condemns me about growing expenditures, suggesting that in the 2012 - 2013 budget year, the Board has increased expenses over the previous year. Had he been attending School Board meetings he'd know projections have to be reconciled with reality. To the point, District 65 routinely spends less than allocated (2012 for example). So while the budget 2013 may show increases, history teaches that real expenditures will be less than budgeted.



And even if I excuse his inaccuracy on "projected" versus "actual," I think my opponent should have been more forthcoming on the data underlying the projections he misuses.  A significant portion of the budget increase he cites is due to paying our new superintendent.  When we hired Dr. Jean Sophie, who my opponent lauds in his campaign promotions, we knew superintendent's salary would increase relative to last year.  That alone represents 15% of the increase.  Dr. Sophie's full-time superintendency replaces Dr. Ben Martindale's outstanding service to our District as interim superintendent, whose 100 paid work days (a fraction of a full budget year) was exceptionally economic given his credentials.  Other increases in salaries and benefits include an additional Library Media Center director and a part-time Occupational Therapist (salary only).  The OT position replaces the same service previously provided by NSSED and is an overall cost savings to the District. They were previously accounted for within the general teaching salary/benefit line items by school. 



Additionally, while suggesting that a primary motivation of his candidacy is improving educational quality, my opponent neglects to mention to voters that increases in 2012 - 2013 expenses include boosts for curriculum and instruction including additional staff development for Language Arts, Social Studies and Math and the purchase of new curriculum materials/software with a focus on Reading/Language Arts, Social Studies and Math which reflects the newly adopted curriculum cycle. (Other supply budget increases include storage cabinets for LBES and a new lunch program for students qualifying for free lunch in grades K-5.)



These increases allow us to better differentiate in District 65 to make sure every student's needs are met individually. 





My goal, and that of my fellow SmartChoices65 running mates, Eric Waggoner and Kate Amaral, is to talk personally with as many of you as possible.  We have been gratified by the positive interactions we have had with neighbors these past few weeks as we've gone door to door.  Now for me, it's time to get back to the neighborhoods and to the District 65 voters who will choose. 



The right choice on April 9 is the Smart Choice. 



Vote for Brady, Amaral, and Waggoner.



Mary Jane Brady

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