Frank Napolitano: Candidate Profile

Back to College Of DuPage 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: BloomingdaleWebsite: www.franknapolitano.comOffice sought: College Of DuPage School Board Age: 41Family: My wife, Carmel Napolitano and I have been married for 8 years and we have 5 1/2 year old boy/girl twins. We also have a 13 year old beagle named Buddy.Occupation: SalesEducation: I attended the College of DuPage and Davea vocational school. I do not have an associates degree.Civic involvement: I have been involved in the Lions Club, my local church and have volunteered for many local events.Elected offices held: Bartlett Village Trustee 2009-2013 U-46 School Board 2013-2014Questions Answers What can the board do to help improve the relationship between the administration and its employees, including full-time faculty members?I believe the board needs to do a better job communicating with the department heads, faculty and staff. I don't believe the board needs to meddle, but the communication needs to be there and the board should receive updates from the department heads at board meetings more frequently.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?NoWith enrollment up, what should COD be doing as far as available classroom/lab space, staffing and course work options to keep pace with the growth?COD should be looking to leverage the latest in technology to improve virtual and remote learning. I also believe they can potentially make better use of the existing space they have today and should consider both of those options before any new construction is done. Any new construction should meet an actual need and the board members should verify there is a need before any construction bids are awarded.The board recently agreed to keep the college's operating property tax levy flat for this year. Is the college reaching a point where a tax levy increase is needed? If yes, how do you justify it? If no, why do you believe that?No, I don't believe a tax levy increase is necessary. I believe first, the COD board must look at any cost cutting measures both on the operating budget and on the capital budgets. Any new spending needs to meet an actual need and provide a measurable short term return on investment.According to a recent Daily Herald report, COD board members approved more than $26 million in spending over a 16-month period without seeing what they were specifically paying for. That's because of a long-standing board policy that allows administrators to pay bills of less than $15,000 without providing itemized reports. Should that policy be changed? Why or why not?Yes, all bills should be itemized for the board and the public to review. The board has a responsibility to the taxpayers to review all bills and payments. The best government oversight will ultimately be the public and allowing the public full access to this information will help keep everyone accountable and help eliminate any potential fraud.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I believe the COD board needs to do several things to help restore the public trust. Those items are; improved transparency, a more open and responsive board and improved communications with the public. If elected, I will hold periodic town hall meetings and will invite any and all stake holders. I will be accessible for questions and comments from the constituents via phone, email or in person.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Benjamin Netanyahu. He is a great leader that stands up for what he believes in and fights for what is right.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I learned that we need to accept personal responsibility and take appropriate action if we want to improve our lives.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I have enjoyed serving as an elected official and believe the work is important. I wish I would have gotten involved in public service sooner.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History because I believe we can learn so much from our history. It helped me to truly appreciate our great country and our freedoms.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I would tell them to always do the right thing and be honest.