Kelly Nowak: 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: GenevaWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Geneva Unit District 304 School Board Age: 49Family: I have been married for 23 years. My husband is an engineer, who has been active with the Tri-Cities Soccer Association as a coach and board member for 15 years. We have three daughters who attend Iowa State University (Sophomore), Geneva High School (Junior), and Geneva Middle School South (8th Grade).Occupation: Retired Banking Professional (Vice President - Commercial Lending/Commercial Treasury Management)Education: Iowa State University BBA Business/Finance During my banking career I attained/maintained my Certified Cash Manager (CCM) professional designation.Civic involvement: I have been a Geneva resident for 20 years, and have had the opportunity to volunteer at one time or another with following organizations: PTO Volunteer Geneva Academic Foundation Geneva Boosters Organizations Geneva Library Foundation Geneva History Center (now Museum) City of Geneva Home Rule Task Force Geneva Beautification Committee Geneva Chamber of Commerce Tri-City Salvation Army Advisory Board Mothers Club of Geneva Girl Scout Leader United Methodist Church of Geneva Fox Valley MarathonElected offices held: Geneva C.U.S.D. Board of Education (2007-Present) Vice President Finance Committee Communications Task Force Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) Kishwaukee Division Chairperson Selected by the IASB to represent the interests of all Illinois School Boards on two statewide task forces.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?Our District focuses on identifying opportunities to help students manage transitions from Kindergarten through graduation, and beyond. Available data suggests our efforts are effectively addressing the diverse needs of our students. Our full-day kindergarten program, affords our youngest students a solid academic foundation for a rigorous program of study in later years. More contact hours result in more effective interventions to better identify and close learning gaps early, before they present more formidable challenges. Incorporating Social and Emotional Learning Standards into our curriculum at all levels has helped our entire school community support our students as they develop a positive self-image, and strong decision making and self-management skills. They practice the interpersonal skills necessary to support healthy relationships, and reinforce responsible behaviors which translate into success beyond the school environment. Integrating technology into the curriculum has resulted in a technical literacy highly valued in today's global economy. Our students are regularly using technology to hone their collaboration skills with students worldwide. Increased access to information provides opportunities to better evaluate the validity of source material. They are also refining their presentation skills. Technology in the classroom engages their interest, creativity, and ability to develop solutions to problems. To promote college and career readiness, we have added staff in our Counseling and Advising office to better serve our students and their families. We have added two new course offerings designed to provide hands-on business and engineering experience, and continue to provide additional opportunities via the Fox Valley Career Center.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.Our District has preserved the integrity of our programs despite pro-rated and delayed State payments. As legislative developments further threaten the State's support of public education, we need to focus on contingency planning, and engage the community in discussions about our educational priorities. The Board is involved in efforts to review our programs and analyze our operations to control expenditures. We solicit input from staff at all levels, and seek guidance from the community. The district has done a commendable job of containing costs, even as debt service has increased, and compliance with mandates puts pressure on staffing levels. We've judiciously used cash reserves, drawing upon resources accumulated over time, to fund projects and ensure the continuity of programming. I fully support the targeted use of reserve funds to alleviate the burden on our taxpayers. We've successfully employed several strategies to manage the added cost that our debt service places on our community. We regularly refine our debt management plan to help stabilize tax rates and reduce our long-term interest expense. We must remember the lessons learned from the recession. Cost containment is only part of the solution. We must also identify alternative sources of revenue, securing grant dollars to fund special projects and specific budget line items. Because of prudent financial management, and the financial strength of the District, multi-year financial projections do not indicate the need for a tax increase in the near future. I do not support an increase to the Education Fund rate at this time.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?It is not appropriate for me, as an individual member of a larger Board, to speculate on positions the Board may or may not take during the course of negotiations. Whenever two parties meet to discuss employment contracts, I believe the interests of everyone are better served if both sides are willing to focus on mutual interests, problem solving and to engage in candid dialogue to identify issues well in advance of commencing formal negotiations. As we negotiate contracts and working agreements with our employee groups, we need to consider a variety of issues beyond a fair and competitive compensation package. When we consider the financial implications of our negotiations, we must act as good stewards of ALL of our resources, and craft agreements we can sustain without putting undue pressure on the future viability of our educational program.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?As our Superintendent and other administrators near retirement, I do not support substantial increases in pay during their final years with the District for the purpose of boosting their pension benefits. Although this practice is common in other districts, there exists a perception that it is an abuse of the system. Instead, I support more transparent methods of rewarding performance and longevity which do not exacerbate an already difficult statewide pension situation. For the foreseeable future, the state legislature and the courts will continue to address the issue of pension reform. I hope for a solution which will fairly balance the interests of all parties.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I have had the privilege of serving on the Geneva School Board for nearly eight years. My priorities during that time have not changed: My first priority will always be to ensure the continuing educational excellence of the Geneva School District. We live in a community that has consistently provided our students with a comprehensive educational experience. Our curriculum challenges our students to excel academically, while incorporating opportunities to develop their talents in the applied and performing arts. My second priority is sound financial management. While my primary focus will always be on what is in the best interests of the students we serve, I believe it is impossible to separate our programming decisions from the District's financial well-being. Additionally, the Board must be responsible to all taxpayers, current and future, and commit to carefully evaluating both the immediate impacts of our financial decisions and the long-term effect of those choices on our ability to continue our Tradition of Excellence. Finally, my third priority is to make sure we engage the community in thoughtful discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing our District. Having an ongoing dialogue with the public is essential to the Board making decisions that reflect the collective will of the entire community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I am not Catholic, but I enjoy following Pope Francis on Twitter. His posts reflect kindness, humility and a generosity of spirit that is refreshing.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Mom was a teacher who preached consequences. Dad was a Marine who spoke fluent Vince Lombardi. I learned to value hard work and personal responsibility.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I am grateful for the beautifully imperfect life I have. If that is a result of the choices I've made, I don't need a do-over.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I couldn't take art classes in school, so as an adult, I pursued photography. I write a photoblog that keeps me focused on our community.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Rather than advice, I hope I have consistently modeled for them the lessons in Micah 6:8. "Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God."