Carol Klamecki: 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: Villa ParkWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: DuPage District 45 School Board Age: 46Family: I have a husband, Mike, and we've been married and living in Villa Park for 20 years. We have 3 children currently enrolled in district 45; grades 4, 5 8.Occupation: Part-time customer serviceEducation: BA in English/communications from University of Illinois Urbana-ChampagneCivic involvement: North PTA President Jefferson Vice President Church clerk Youth minister Parent liaison for Hispanic parent focus group at North school Held numerous positions in both PTA's over the past 9 yearsElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions 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 highly satisfied that our school district is adequately preparing our students. I think that continued monitoring of current programs would be prudent.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.If any pension reform bills pass they could negatively impact school district finances. In response , I would strongly encourage us, as a community, to stay in contact with our state legislators and stay informed on current issues. If such reforms come I look forward to working with the rest of the school board to address them as appropriate.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?NoAs 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?I believe the school board should work collaboratively with all of its employees for the benefit of the employees, the students and the school district overall. Without being a part of the current negotiations or the budgets I am unable to knowledgely answer the rest of this question.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, because the cost will ultimately come back on the district.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?My children are receiving an excellent education in school district 45 and I see this election as an opportunity to give back to a district that has given so much to my family and the surrounding community. I want to be able to contribute to the continued success and financial stability of the district.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Paul Hewson, aka Bono (lead singer of U2). He has helped create an empire of advocacy organizations that is doing good work around the world.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?That many hands makes for lighter work and that it's always better to listen more and talk less.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I think I'm exactly where I should be and I'd rather not look back but instead, look forward.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English was my favorite subject, I still enjoy reading. I've hopefully passed on my love of books to my children.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I would tell them to never, never, never stop learning.