Barbara Hengels: Candidate Profile

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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. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: Elk Grove VillageWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Schaumburg District 54 School Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Married 43 years. Two adult sons and two adult daughters. Four young grandsons.Occupation: HomemakerEducation: BA Marquette University Psychology majorCivic involvement: Over 25 years in PTA; Elk Grove Village 50th Anniversary CommitteeElected offices held: Over 25 years of service to: Fairview PTA; Nerge PTA President and other offices; Mead PTA President and other offices;Schaumburg Township Council of PTAs (STC); Conant High School and Booster Club; BSA Troop 198; Community Character Coalition of Elk Grove; EGCPA and H.O.T.T. costuming; Education Commission of the States 100 District LeadersQuestions Answers How satisfied are you that your school district is adequately 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?I am confident that D54 is prepared. Out curriculum has been aligned to the Illinois State Standards for quite some time in anticipation of expected change. To ensure student success, all curricula is regularly reviewed and assessed. Staff Development is a critical component. The Professional Learning Communities and School Leadership Teams in each of our 28 schools further supported progress and improvement for student growth and development. We recently opened our Early Learning Center to serve our youngest learner's needs. We will begin Full Day Kindergarten this coming fall, bring a continuum of academics and support throughout D54. Student improvement is evidenced by student scores in the State aligned Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and this past fall, 13 of our schools were recognized for performing at or above the 90th percentile (top 10% nationally) in reading and math as measured by Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Another 8 schools reached the 95th percentile. To know students "by name and by need" has become part of the District's culture. With such strong support of students I believe that D54 is remarkably preparing students for success in high school and beyond.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? Again, be specific.D54 has strong commitments to fiscal responsibility. In 1996 the District was $160 million in debt. We are debt free, provide a balanced operating budget with sufficient reserves and have Moody's Aaa (its highest) rating. We also have received the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International's Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting Award. Our budget process includes members of the Board and administration along with members of the community. Reliable financial resources from the state are of concern. The Illinois Constitution states that "The State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education." Yet, repeatedly, state funding is reduced or heavily pro-rated. Example: mandated transportation funds are now provided at 72.5%. We often do not know what actions the General Assembly will take until mid-summer which is after our budgetary process is complete. The Board and administration stay aware of federal and state funding issues. Last fall Illinois SB16 would have meant a $12 million loss to D54. We worked with neighboring districts to provide information to our communities and legislators. D54 has never based its budget solely on dollars, but rather for strong support of student success. If need be, we will reanalyze priorities and adjust accordingly.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.As contract talks come up with various school employee groups -- teachers, support staff, etc. -- what posture should the school board take? 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?Members of our unions are reasonable and recognize the financial impact of their contracts with the District and area taxes. Many are citizens of the community as well. Checking local demographics, our average teacher salary is indeed close to the median incomes of the community, I would expect that similarity to continue.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?No. We pay him adequately that his retirement would be sufficient.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The changing demographics of the northwest suburban area means that more students have more needs.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Warrenn Buffett. The business magnate, investor and philanthropist who has supported his family, but expects them to make their own way as adults.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?How to decide if an issue will still be an issue in 6 months allows you to react accordingly in the future.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have spend more time with my parents.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Reading. This allows me to learn as much as I can. It took me to fantastical places, and to any place or time I choose.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be kind and know where your money is.