Q and A

The candidates were asked questions by the Naperville Sun and the Daily Herald.  My responses to those questions are below.

Daily Herald

1)      Why are you running for office, whether for re-election or election for the first time?  Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is that?  What will be your main priority in office?

As a District 204 graduate and a father of two children, I have a strong vested interest in the future success of our district.  My motivation for serving is simply to improve the educational opportunities afforded our children while being a good steward of taxpayer money.

Having served on the board for two years, I still have a fresh perspective but also a strong working knowledge of the operational and financial complexities of leading the fourth largest school district in the state.  In addition, my strong business background and in-depth understanding of the voters’ priorities will enable me to continue delivering results.

My top priorities will continue to be improving student performance while being accessible and accountable to our parents and taxpayers. 

I invite you to learn more about me at www.curtbradshaw.com.

2)      If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions.  Tell us of important initiatives you’ve led.

Fiscal Responsibility.  My business experience and M.B.A. in finance have equipped me to be a good steward of taxpayer money.  I initiated a review of the district’s benefits plan, resulting in over $3 million in annual savings without a reduction in staff benefits.

Student Achievement.  I led the district to establish specific and measurable student performance goals for first time in district’s history; I believe strongly that “what gets measured gets done.”  I actively supported initiatives that significantly increased student performance across all of the district’s schools.

Increased Accessibility and Accountability to You.  In 2006, I spent time in all of the district’s 31 schools and devoted over 500 hours to meeting with and listening to parents and taxpayers.  I’m driven by the belief that you – the voters – are the true owners of the district.
 

3)      Were you satisfied with how boundaries were redrawn to accommodate Metea Valley High School, or not?  Would you vote to change those boundaries?  Why or why not?  How would you like to see elementary and middle school boundaries handled in the future?

I’m satisfied with the outcome of the boundaries to accommodate Metea Valley H.S. and my role in the process.  The new boundaries provide greater parity in terms of demographic composition and academic achievement across the three high schools.  And, I’m proud that many district residents have commented on my integrity in this process.

While I’m satisfied with the outcome and wouldn’t vote to change it, I’m dissatisfied with the larger process used to arrive at the outcome.  As we consider middle school boundary decisions, the district must clearly define and prioritize the criteria that will be used to draw the boundaries.  Defining and prioritizing the criteria upfront will increase confidence in the process by replacing much of the subjectivity and emotion with objectivity.

4)      Officials have said the district faces a deficit in the near future and the need for a referendum in 2009.  How would you specifically address firming up the district’s finances?

It’s important to start with a fact regarding the district’s current fiscal management. District 204 has maximized its return on dollars invested by operating at the lowest cost per student of any district in DuPage County.

Despite this achievement, there are still opportunities to be more efficient with taxpayers’ money.  We need to continue seeking opportunities to improve the bottom line without negatively impacting student performance.

I feel very confident in the financial skills and experience I bring to the board.  I graduated with highest honors with an MBA from the University of Chicago and now work as a Vice President at Morgan Stanley where I apply and sharpen these skills in a competitive marketplace.  

More importantly, I will not be working alone.  Just last year, a conversation I had with a member of our business community led to over $3 million in annual savings.  I will continue to leverage some of the area’s greatest financial minds to address the fiscal challenges we face.

5)      How would you help the district’s new superintendent transition to his/her new role?  What in your mind is the first order of business for the new board of education and new superintendent?

Because I participated in events at each of the district’s 31 schools and because I devoted over 500 hours meeting with and listening to parents and taxpayers in 2006, I can offer the new superintendent a comprehensive view of the district’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.

The first order of business for the new board and new superintendent is to develop a strategic plan that will set District 204 on a path to be the best school district in the state of Illinois.  We will create this plan by proactively seeking your input.  It will not be the board’s plan; it will be your plan.

As part of developing the strategic plan, we will develop a “dashboard” to measure our progress towards the specific educational and financial goals we establish.  A critical component of the dashboard will be a “customer satisfaction” survey that increases the board’s level of accountability to you.

6)      Are you satisfied with the district’s selection of the Brach-Brodie property for Metea Valley High School?  What would you recommend to help the district stay within its budget and on track with its goal of a fall 2009 opening date for Metea?

Recognizing there is no perfect property for Metea Valley H.S., I am satisfied with the selection of the Brach-Brodie property on 75^th St. and Commons.  The board painstakingly reviewed every conceivable aspect of the available land sites and chose the Brach-Brodie parcel because it has the greatest number of positives and the fewest negatives of any property available.     

Brach-Brodie’s biggest negative has been the timeline associated with attaining ownership.  However, it is important to note that progress has been made and that the other top alternatives had similarly long time lines.  To start over now with a different site would create untold complications with no guarantee of success.

The board will continue to work with district counsel to expedite the legal proceedings and will partner effectively with the architect and construction manager to ensure a fall 2009 opening date for Metea.
 

7)      One of the board’s goals has been to improve communication with residents.  Do you feel it has met that goal?  Or what would you recommend to improve communication?

While the district has improved its communication with residents, it still has significant progress to make in creating a culture that values effective communication at every level of the district. 

Recent improvements include expanding the use of district and school-level electronic news systems, reaching out to non-parents through homeowner association newsletters and re-designing our annual report.  In addition, a new, more user-friendly website will be launched this summer.

Future improvements should include putting in place mechanisms for residents to provide us with valuable feedback.  A critical component of that feedback should be an annual “customer satisfaction” survey that increases the board’s level of accountability to you.

As a board member, I have strived to set an example of effective two-way communication by devoting large amounts of time to meeting with parents and taxpayers throughout the district.

 Naperville Sun

1)      If elected, would you support the current high school boundaries for Metea Valley High School or would you support revisiting the boundaries that were approved before the March 2006 referendum?

The community’s energy should be focused on the future and making District 204 the best district in the state.  Therefore, I would not support revisiting the high school boundaries.

With middle school boundary decisions upon us, I encourage you to elect board members who have a proven track record of placing the best interests of the district ahead of their own.  I’m proud that many residents have commented on my integrity in the high school boundary process.

2)      During recent budget discussions, District 204 has said the state of their finances and the opening of a third high school likely means a referendum in 2009. What is your position on this issue and how to go about getting the voters to approve such a measure?

District 204 has successfully increased student performance while operating at the lowest cost per student of any unit district in DuPage County.  However, our five-year plan shows that state funding reductions will require the district to have a 2009 referendum just to maintain our current level of excellence (for perspective, if general state aid had remained at 2002 per student levels, District 204 would be receiving an additional $14 million annually). 

The district should clearly describe the service levels it can provide with and without a referendum and allow the voters to decide which option is right for our community.

3)      What is an issue you believe the school board should be addressing or could be improved upon and what is your proposed solution?

The board should have a strategic plan that will set District 204 on a path to be the best school district in the state of Illinois.  I recommend that the first order of business for the new board and new superintendent be to develop this plan with significant input from the community.

As part of developing the strategic plan, we should develop a “dashboard” to measure our progress towards the specific educational and financial goals we establish.  A critical component of the dashboard should be a “customer satisfaction” survey that increases the board’s level of accountability to you.

Contact Curt

Voter Info