Traci Ellis: Candidate Profile

Back to Elgin-Area Unit 46 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:BioQA Bio City: ELGINWebsite: www.traciellis.comOffice sought: Elgin-Area Unit 46 School Board 4-year terms Age: 52Family: Husband (Rick Ellis) 2 Sons (24 and 21 years old)Occupation: Assistant Director, Affirmative Action EEOC Investigations, Northern Illinois UniversityEducation: J.D. Ohio State University (1990) B.S. Business Administration, Florida A M University (1986) H.S. Larkin High, Elgin ILCivic involvement: U-46 School Board Member Advocate Sherman Hospital Board Member Administer Justice Board Member Elgin Chamber of Commerce, Past Board Member Downtown Neighborhood Association, Past Board MemberElected offices held: Secretary Pro TemQuestions Answers What is your position on standards-based grading, which has been controversial with parents, students and even some teachers? Did the district botch the implementation of this new system? What could it have done differently?I fully support standards-based grading which requires that students be graded on well-defined course objectives. In other words, it assesses what students actually know about a given subject. I believe even educators have a hard time explaining a qualitative difference between each letter grade. SBG provides that ability. While I support SBG, I have also been critical of the district's implementation of it. First, we should have had a thorough implementation timeline to transition together in an organized, phased manner as a district to SBG, rather than the current fragmented approach. Second, teachers should have received professional development to coordinate with a well-orchestrated roll-out of the implementation. Third, course standards should have been well-defined for each course before implemented. Administration is now going back addressing some of these issues so that we can move forward in a smoother, better coordinated fashion.Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?No.Would you support holding the line on tax increases since the district has emerged from deficit spending and has a healthy surplus of roughly $50 million? Explain why or why not.The $50 million isn't a "healthy surplus". The bulk of that money is money that either was paid late by the State of Illinois or that we had not budgeted to receive, but yet the State paid anyway. Our cash on hand amounts to about 160 days, which is not a lot given the size of this district. Additionally, we are facing potentially up to a $30mm loss in state funding this year which obviously would be devastating to our cash position as well as our overall budget. Given that a large portion of our revenue is received in June and September, we have to have a positive fund balance at the end of the fiscal year in order to pay for operations until September when we receive the second payment from Kane and DuPage from property tax collections. Without a positive balance at the end of the fiscal year, we might have to borrow funds to operate until September. Given that our tax revenues are unevenly disbursed, we have wide swings in our fund balances where we have larger balances in June and September and smaller balances in February and May. Given all of these variables, I would never make a promise to hold the line on taxes without knowing current economic conditions. That would be irresponsible. But, I am committed to responsible expense management. For example, although revenue came in about $8mm over budget, we kept expenses $18mm under budget. We are not on a spending spree.Would you support a charter school within U-46? Why or why not?I have repeatedly said that I am not fundamentally opposed to charter schools. On the other hand, I'm not enamored with them either and don't believe that each and every charter school is right for U46. However, if presented with a proposal that made sense for U46 as a district, and which addressed critical needs of ours in a way that is operationally and fiscally responsible, then I would be open to considering such a proposal.What budgetary issues will your district have to confront during the next four years and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, be specific about programs and expenses that should be considered for reduction or elimination. On the income side, do you support any tax increases for local schools? Be specific.First, we are facing threat of a loss of up to $30mm in state funding this year. Second, we are in a "bottoms up" strategic planning process that will guide our allocation of resources for the next 5 years. Depending on the priorities identified in that process, budget allocations may shift. Third, boundaries may change to address utilization issues across the district. The outcome of that will have financial implications that are not yet known. Finally, we will continue to look for operational efficiencies that make sense. I want to find those savings that do not impact the classroom as much as possible. For that reason, we have delayed purchasing buses, which means we are behind on our age and obsolescence plan. But if we face the threatened loss of funding, then further delaying the purchase of new buses is possible. We might also have to delay capital projects other than mission critical ones. But with that funding loss, given that 80+% of our budget is in people, we could be forced to eliminate positions. On the income side, property taxes are the only revenue which we can control for school operations. While we must be prudent with our levies, tax increases have to remain possibilities until the legislature addresses its morally reprehensible school funding formula. My job is to ensure administration is being conservative in both its revenue and expense projections so that we maintain a balanced budget, spend wisely, and ensure quality educational opportunities for all children.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Other issues that are important to me are: 1. School safety and discipline - We must balance creating welcoming environments in schools with ensuring that our students and staff are safe in our buildings. 2. Student achievement - We must challenge the brightest in our schools and support the struggling student as well. Closing the achievement gap remains a noble goal. It is good for the students and its good for our communities, because when particular groups of students are not educated fully, it can lead to higher dropout rates, a negative impact on the economy, and raise stress in the community in areas of crime, violence, and poverty. 3. According to the Illinois State Report Card, U46 is operating at a high efficiency rate, but strategically improving efficiency so that we don't suffer quality losses in the classroom will always be a high priority for me. 4. School funding reform - The truth is that unlike municipalities and other taxing bodies, we don't have any mechanism by which to diversify our revenue stream. The only revenue we can control in order to operate our schools is property taxes. Unfortunately, the state of Illinois set up a school funding mechanism that is inherently unfair to children and overly burdensome to taxpayers. Therefore, taxpayers have a right to be indignant. But that righteous indignation should be aimed at the state legislature, rather than school districts, which are scapegoats for a broken system we neither established nor concur with.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner and a human rights advocate. She has courageously faced oppression and inspires me to do the same.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Always make room at the table for one more. Whether guests for dinner or a blanket on the couch, there is always room for others.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would spend my early professional career pursuing work that is meaningful rather than solely pursuing financial security.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English was my favorite class because it taught me the power of effective communication which has been one of my strengths as an attorney.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?They are precious, valued and loved, but, it's not all about them. Our personal comfort sometimes has to yield to the needs of others.