James G. Ekeberg: Candidate Profile
Palatine Twp. Elementary D15
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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted.
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Bio
City: Palatine
Website: Candidate did not respond.
Office sought: Palatine Twp. Elementary D15
Age: 62
Family: Married, 4 children
Occupation: Family Physician
Education: BS in biology, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 1970
MD St. Louis University School of Medicine, 1974
Family Medicine Residency, Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Civic involvement: Chair Family Medicine Dept. Northwest Comm. Hospital
Volunteer Health Resource High School Dist. 211
Volunteer Team Physician Palatine High School football team
Elder Presbyterian Church of Palatine
Former volunteer coach Palatine Park Dist. & Palatine North
Little League
Elected offices held: Board Of Education, Comm. Consolidated School Dist. 15, 2007
Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No, unless you are talking about traffic tickets.
Candidate's Key Issues
Key Issue 1
Our superintendant has introduced the phrase,""every child, every day, every school."" That, I believe, is the primary mission of the school board. We must provide the leadership, staff, curriculum and facilities of the best quality so all children we serve have the opportunity to achieve their potential.
Key Issue 2
I believe the board has hired a very effective leader in Supt. Thompson. His challenge is to assemble the best administrative staff and recruit and keep the best teachers and support personnel. The board must demonstrate the ability to provide a stable, high functioning team to support Mr. Thompson in this most important goal.
Key Issue 3
Educational funding in the State of Illinois remains an on-going challenge for all school districts. We are fairly stable for the next two years but we will have to work very hard to control our spending into the future. The District will have a better idea as the State of Illinois determines the future funding of education in Illinois in light of the income tax increase.
Questions & Answers
Would you support reductions in staff, specifically classroom teachers, in order to reduce projected deficit spending? If not, what specific budget cuts do you propose?
A goal Mr. Thompson voiced at the last board meeting is to make budget cuts that do not impact the classroom and I believe the board and I share that goal. I would look to the administration to provide the lead on those budget cuts.
How would you prioritize capital projects? Is the board's direction to budget $2 million annually on capital projects enough? And would you tap into reserves to fund those projects?
We hired a new architect for the district. The architect and the administration are evaluating all of our facilities. I would look to their expertise to direct how our funds should best benefit the district.
How do you attempt to create equity in District 15, a large elementary district with diverse demographics? What further steps can the schools that have struggled with No Child Left Behind standards take?
This district was very close in meeting the rigorous demands of NCLB last year. I know that it is a very high priority for the Dept. of Instruction. They are working very hard to make sure every school and each group in every school has the best opportunity to succeed. We must continue to provide the best staff and needed resources.
What impact do you think the Navigate15 process will have on Dist. 15, and what can be done to ensure the community is engaged in the process? How should the board incorporate community input into future initiatives?
I believe this is a demonstration of the outstanding leadership skills of Mr. Thompson. He is providing the community an opportunity to give input to the Board of Education. This input will be used for planning for the future of the disrict.
Would you support another tax increase referendum? Why or why not?
I do not believe there is a need for a tax increase referendum. Under the leadership of Mr. Thompson and Mr. Adamczyk (Assistant Supt. for Business) we will balance our budget and plan for our future funding needs.
