Ryan Kerry: Candidate Profile

Back to Kaneland Unit District 302 School Board

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: ElburnWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Kaneland Unit District 302 School Board Age: 41Family: Wife Kathy Daughters Madeline age 10 Samantha Age 7Occupation: Water well and geothermal drilling and repairEducation: North Central College BA 1996 Major in Business Minor in Communications North Central College Master of Finance 2001Civic involvement: Kaneland Financial Advisory CommitteeElected offices held: Board of directors Geothermal Alliance of Illinois currentlyQuestions 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 happy with the work that done so far. However, there is always room for improvement. The district is in the bottom half of the comparative districts in most education categories.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.There are many budget issues that will be facing the board. There are the bond refinancing, the teachers contract, and the support staff contract just to name a few. I think that the board will need to focus on getting the most out of each dollar that spent. I think the board can do a better job of managing those dollars on the administrative side so that more money is available to the teachers and students to improve the overall education experience. Finally, no I do not support a tax or levy increase.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?The teacher are the most important part of the education system. I do not think that the board should ask for concessions from the teachers. I would expect that there will be and increase in the total cost of the employee benefits package.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?I would not support this. The compensation package that is offered to a superintendent or administrator should fair and competitive. However, it should not be one that has long term implications.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I think that the board needs to do a better job of working together to solve problems.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.