Rosemary Kurtz: 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: Crystal LakeWebsite: www.facebook.com/rosemarykurtzd155Office sought: Crystal Lake High School District 155 School Board Age: 84Family: Husband, James deceased. Three daughters, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren.Occupation: Retired legislator and educator.Education: B.A. - University of Oklahoma M.A. - University of Kansas PhD coursework at the University of IowaCivic involvement: Member of the League of Women Voters since 1970. Served as president - one term. Crystal Lake Zoning Board 1978-98 (20 years). McHenry County Capital Development Block Grant (CDBG) Commission member (2006-2011). Crystal Lake Library Foundation (2012-present).Elected offices held: Republican Precinct Committeeman (1998). Crystal Lake City Treasurer (1998-2001). State Representative - 2 terms (2001-2005).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?Based on the 96% graduation number of seniors in School District 155 and the 66% of these ready for college (according to the http://www.illinoisreportcard.com/ for 2013-14) the District is demonstrating good levels of student academic achievement. In addition, based on the 2014 ACT WorkKeys Assessment (used in both the academic and private sectors) those graduates that may not go college are demonstrating relative improvement and strength in levels of skills and performance that indicate solid proficiency in job preparedness. However, I do remain concerned that District 155 (like all schools today) face a huge task in preparing for the federally mandated "Common Core" curriculum because the testing used to evaluate student achievement will take away even more time from the instructional and educational environment of the classroom. This will likely be an on-going issue for the board, as well as administrators, teachers, and most importantly students. I believe my experience allows me to be well prepared to represent our community and provide an important perspective regarding this issue.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.Projected demographics from the District 155 Financial Report (CAFR, 2014, p. vi) show us that both elementary and high school enrollments have been declining, yet the District 155 Board has begun building for expansion that is not needed. For example, constructing bleachers at the cost of over a million dollars in order to â#128;~super-size' this facility simply does not make sense. To make matters worse, the D155 Board has refused to deal responsibly with the ensuing municipality zoning conflict. This has resulted in over $500,000 in legal fees and this is likely to continue to grow. I will not support future legal expenditures to fight City zoning. In light of these frivolous expenditures, according to the Community High School District No. 155, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2014 (p. 12) states, "as is evident by the significant deficit in fiscal year 2014, the District needs to make operational changes to return to a balanced budget". Specifically the District engaged in deficit spending of $5,965,278. I find it disconcerting that the D155 Board did not ensure that a balanced budget was maintained. This type of financial management is not sustainable and is not in line with the values of our community. Responsible and comprehensive cost cutting is vital when revenues are not sufficient to address proposed expenditures. As a board member I will only support balanced budgets!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?None of my family members work for any school districts. As for myself, I am retired from District 155 in 1990 after teaching there for 12 years. I am also a taxpayer for 45 years in Crystal Lake. In addition, I believe costs must be contained wherever possible.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?The school board must always remember that its mission is to educate the student in the most effective way. At the same time, the board must keep in mind its fiscal responsibility to the tax-payer. In contract talks, the merits of the contract must be carefully analyzed. Just as important is the question: "Is it fair to ask the public to pay more, especially in these difficult economic times with job insecurity and stagnant salary levels?" The excellent teachers and social service staff in this District are its most important asset. Recognizing my obligation to the public and to the employees, I will work hard to be the voice of the community.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, I would not support a substantial increase for any administrator's pay in order to boost that person's pension benefits. When pensions are artificially increased in this manner, additional and unfair burden is placed on the taxpayer. This type of irresponsible action by past boards is one of the reasons that Illinois has pension obligations that are bankrupting the State.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?In reviewing the FY 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (p. 96) the report indicates 377 days of cash on hand. This implies significant cash reserves, and I believe this should be assessed to better establish how effectively tax payer dollars are being utilized. In regards to transparency in government--if the Public could have given input to the Board a year ago before construction of the costly bleachers near residences, the Board would have realized their plans were contrary to the City Zoning Code and to the taxpayers. In addition, if the board had been listening to the Public they would have understood that spending tax dollars to engage in an expensive legal battle with City Hall was grossly irresponsible. As a school board member I would set the expectation that D155 Administrators must work with other units of government in a collaborative non-adversarial manner. In closing, the years of experience I have had as a Crystal Lake Zoning Board Member, former elected official, and educator provides me with skills needed on the D155 Board. My track record and experience gives the public assurance that I will be a strong and informed advocate for representing the public in the management and oversight of School District 155.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.College of DuPage Trustee Katharine Hamilton has been the only trustee who has stood up against an excessive compensation package for the outgoing president.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Listen and respect others, especially if they have a different point of view.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I don't believe in do-overs. I am happy with my decisions and I have grown in character when mistakes were made.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I loved math and this has served me well as a cost accountant, City Treasurer, and Legislator in providing oversight.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Learning is the essence of life and happiness, and applying what has been learned to help others is one's moral duty.