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Wells Frice: Candidate Profile

Mundelein District 75 School Board (4-year Terms)

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. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: MundeleinWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mundelein District 75 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 64Family: Married, 3 children, six grandchildren.Occupation: Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager, Equities, Great Lakes Advisors, LLCEducation: Bachelor of Arts in Ecomomics, Lake Forest College, 1977. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)Civic involvement: Current Member National Board of Directors, American Youth Soccer Organization, previously volunteer in varrious positions more than 30 years.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 The number 1 issue is helping ensure that the district has provided professional development so that all staff has an opportunity to obtain the techniques and tools to be successful in delivering the new curriculum required by the State of Illinois.Key Issue 2 The second issue is while we execute the first issue is ensuring that we attend the social, emotional and developmental aspects of all students to be successful students at the high school and beyond.Key Issue 3 The third issue to the ensure that we continue to be fiscally responsible and maintain reasonable reserve balances realizing that additional income will not be available.Questions Answers What do you think about the shift to the common core standards? How big a role do you think the board of education should play in setting the curriculum for students and what ideas do you have for changes to the current curriculum?Now that Illinois and a large number of other states have adopted the common core standards the primary role of the board of education is the support the most time and cost effective implementation. This is and will result is modification of the current curriculum but the result will be a more highly qualified student to succeed at high school.How satisfied are you that your district is preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether it be from elementary into high school or high school into college or full-time employment? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?Most District 75 students go on to have successful careers at high school and the district has made major strides closing the outcome gaps for all students to be able to meet the requirements of high school. As the common core is implemented that percentage should increase.What budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax increases?Declining State of Illinois income combined with lower equalized assessed valuations for real estate property is resulting in very small increases in income. However, closing Lincoln School, reducing the number of teaching staff and administrative staff as enrollment has declined has allowed the district to maintain appropriate fiscal balance. At this time I do not think it would be wise to ask for a tax increase. However, shifting teacher pension costs without time to phase in over a number of years could change my position.As contract talks come up with various school employee groups, do you believe the district should ask for concessions from its employees, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?The district has historically had good relations with our employee groups. As enrollment declined with less income from the state and a substantially lower growth of local income we and the employees over the last agreements have reduced substantially the rate of increase in compensation, reduced benefit costs and increased the time worked to stay fiscally responsible.If your district had a superintendent or other administrator nearing retirement, would you support a substantial increase in his or her pay to help boost pension benefits? Why or why not?The district has not for certified staff or administrators granted substantial compensation increased to a level that has resulted in requirement to pay a penalty to TRS and I would not support any increase that would require a penalty.