Age: 42.

Residence: Aurora

Family: Husband, Harry; twin sons, Paul and Stephen.

Education: n/a.

Employer: Paralegal, technology manager, administrator, Wiender and McAuliffe, attorneys at law, Chicago.

Previous political experience: None.

Community involvement: Vice president, Still Middle School Parent-Teacher-School Association and McCarty Elementary PTA; president of Laurel Ridge Homeowners' Association; representative of subdivision on city of Aurora's Ward 10.

Q: Do you support the current $130.5 million April referendum measure? Why or why not?

A: While I am not against building a third high school per se, various issues exist relative to the current referendum proposal. I submit that the committee process is fundamentally flawed. Let history speak for itself � we have had capacity shortfalls year after year at all grade levels in all portions of the district. The data introduced to the committee was filtered and produced by the district. The only objective material received for consideration was the NIU study. Interestingly and ironically, the district openly refuted NIU's projections by stating that hiring a demographer was “a mistake” and “a waste of money.” The district further represented that any projections beyond five years was a “crapshoot.” The Brach-Brody site is not logically located in the area where the majority of the growth is occurring and will likely occur in the future. This will eventually necessitate a significant redrawing of the boundaries at all grade levels throughout the entire district. It is my understanding this is prime commercial property, which could potentially generate tax revenue thus alleviating the tax burden on the residential taxpayers. Further, allowing only one bid for the design and construction of a high school � disallowing the competitive bid process � is not indicative of fiscal responsibility.

Q: Do you think a third high school is necessary to house incoming students, and if not, how do you propose the district house the incoming students?

A: I do not believe our immediate attention necessarily belongs at the high school level. First charge given to the committee by the district was to address the overcrowding in the middle schools and the need for a seventh middle school. The high schools did not appear to be the district's immediate concern as they were in the last item in the committee's charge, which stated that if time permitted and the information was available, the committee “may be asked to repeat this cycle focusing on the current and projected enrollments at the high school level.” Unfortunately, the middle school issues we face today were not resolved and the majority of the discussions were focused on high schools. Considering the district offered the viable option of postponing the referendum until March 2006, and in light of the fact that past decisions for growth have not provided “just enough, just in time” we need to move carefully and cautiously in our go-forward strategies when determining the best possible solutions for our children and the community as a whole.

Q: With the state budget crisis and the future level of education funding up in the air, how should the district help make up the gap with less funds from the state and more students?

A: In times of monetary shortfalls, one must find ways to tighten the belt. Strategic planning needs to occur to find ways to cut spending without affecting school programs and curriculum. Unfortunately, I do not feel I can properly address this issue at this time without further education and information as well as access to relative information concerning the district's financial matters.

03/23/05 From: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sunpub/naper/election/vickers.htm


AURORA � A little less than half of the candidates running for seats on the Indian Prairie School Board are going to walk away happy Tuesday night.

Nine candidates are vying for four seats on the board, including three incumbents. Current board President Kathi Baldwin is not seeking another term.

Much of the discussion among candidates has centered on the $130.5 million referendum measure voters also will find on the ballot Tuesday.

“I believe we have done the best we could do with the numbers we were faced with every year,” said incumbent Jeannette Clark, who has served three terms on the board.

“We have always had seats for students and kept the bond and interest rate as stable as we could in an effort to make it as affordable for taxpayers as possible.”

Jim Box and Bruce Glawe are the other two incumbent candidates. Glawe was appointed to the board in December to fill a vacancy, and Box is serving his first term on the board.

Challenger Eve Kochman worked in the Indian Prairie and West Aurora districts as a school social worker.

“I think the district did really well for the most part of handling the growth with the blip of the freshman centers not being the best planning,” Kochman said. “Our schools are well utilized, every classroom is always being used at the middle school level.”

Voters approved the freshman centers as part of a 2001 referendum to help ease crowding at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools. Now, the district is asking voters to approve a referendum to build a third high school.

Chuck Kern is the only board candidate not supporting the referendum.

“I wanted a third high school in 2001 and I think the freshman centers were a big mistake,” said Kern, who was part of a Citizens Advisory Committee which recommended the current referendum measure. However, he now thinks the decision about the third high school was made too quickly.

Mark Mileusnic, who attended all the Citizens Advisory Committee meetings, said the need for the high school is evident.

“The kids are here,” Mileusnic said. “We need to have the seats, and we need to have adequate facilities and services for those kids.”

Naaman Moorman and John Stephens, both members of the Citizens Advisory Committee, also support the referendum measure.

“I don't know what part of Neuqua Valley or Waubonsie Valley we would put 1,000 more students in,” Stephens said. ” . . . We need room somewhere.”

Candidate Christine Vickers has not made her position on the referendum known.

04/03/05 From: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/city/a03ipcand.htm

 
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