Elect a D211 board that will hold the line

The current District 211 board of education elected secretary has served our community taxpayers for 20 years with annual property tax increases, expensive conference attendances, unsustainable TRS pensions and a lack of community representation when the federal government bullied its latest social experimentation upon our children.

"She who shall not be named" is asking for your vote again. I've had enough. Haven't you had enough?

The next four years will include another teachers contract. Let's put people on the Palatine-Schaumburg High School board of education who will fight property tax increases, skip the expensive conferences, do their part to keep salaries and pensions sustainable and vote for the community they are elected to represent!

District 211 has levied more than $2 billion from 2006 to 2015 ($2,018,857,537.00). Superintendent Dan Cates (hired by the incumbents and recently given a five-year contract extension) continually says he gave $30 million back to the community in the form of tax relief over 10 years.

This amounts to less than a penny ($.014) on the dollar. Is this something to brag about?

The district continually has an annual surplus, due to inflated budgeting. Even after the token abatement, the district has amassed a $135 million surplus and is constantly finding ways to spend it; often on unnecessary capital improvements. Example: Replacement of swimming pools in the five district high schools. Hard to believe that all five were failing and in disrepair.

We have teachers contracts coming up after this election. How can we expect change? The solution is to vote on April 4 for school board candidates who care about our schools and the community that pays the bill. Vote for Ralph Bonatz, Katherine David and Jean Forrest.

John Parker

Schaumburg