Election 2011: District 159 Board of Education Candidate Mike Ford

Four candidates are vying for three seats on 's Board of Education. Newcomer answers six issue-based questions about student achievement, consolidation and the district's budget.

What are your plans for continuing student achievement and raising test scores?

I'm not in the educational field, so this is more of an administration and teacher issue. I think the district should continue on what has been working so far. I think we should give teachers the resources they need to do an effective job.

If the state were to allow for consolidation, should district 159 consider it? Why or why not?

The bill is no longer on the table, but Gov. Quinn has made it clear that it's an issue. I think it's definitely worth exploring. Going to county-wide school districts is not going to fix the problem. But it definitely warrants further explanation when 260 superintendents are making more than he is. It's worth exploring more to see what the pros and cons are and whether it will save taxpayers money.

What will be your first priority if you are elected and the referendum passes?

I think it would make our job a little easier because we'll have more financial resources. I would reinstate extracurriculars, bring back teachers, reinstate full-day kindergarten. 

Regardless of whether it passes or fails, we need to be sure we're not in this same position five years from now and we need to ensure the financial well being of the district.

What will be your first priority if the referendum doesn’t pass?

It would still be to get at least some extracurriculars reinstated. With an $18 to $19 million budget and $9.5 million in reserves, $185,000 seems like a small percentage. I’d have a line-item by line-item analysis of budget with the rest of the board and administration. I also have a plan to phase out Mokena Intermediate School on my website.

When it comes to budget cuts, what should be off-limits?

It’s hard for me to say until I’ve looked at the entire budget, but as far as off-limits goes, I want to maintain as many teachers as possible. Teachers have the biggest impact and the most contact with our kids, and good teachers produce a good education.

What are your ideas for reducing the district’s $2.7 million deficit?

Like I said, I’d go through the budget line-item by line-item. The biggest part of the budget is salaries and benefits, and I’d start there and see where we can make adjustments. I’d look into getting some pay freezes or even raises if they were tied to the consumer price index and possibly have teachers and administrators pay more for insurance. This needs to be done because everyone is struggling right now and it’s unfair to continue to tax and burden the taxpayers.