Karin Lundstedt: Candidate Profile

Back to Libertyville-Vernon Hills High School District 128 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: LibertyvilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Libertyville-Vernon Hills High School District 128 School Board Age: 56Family: Paul Lundstedt, husbandHeather Lundstedt O'Neill, Britta Lundstedt Hundertmark, Carl Lundstedt, childrenOccupation: Candidate did not respond.Education: BA English Literature, University of IL, 1982Civic involvement: BOE member CHSD 128 (2 terms), Special Education District of Lake County governing board member for D128 (7 years), Member of District 128 Foundation for Learning, Reading tutor North Chicago Elementary Schools, Waukegan Food Pantry volunteer. Member at Libertyville Covenant Church.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers There's been a lot of talk over the past year in District 128 about school spending and high taxes. Are budget cuts needed? If so, where would you cut and why?The concern over high taxes and school spending is one that is very important to me and to the other members of the D128 Board of Education. We have already begun to address these very things. Over the past several years we have taken steps to ease taxes in our district through tax abatements totaling nearly 19 million dollars. In efforts to reduce costs we have asked the administration to evaluate any position that becomes vacant for possible consolidation or elimination before being filled. We have also asked that spending be held flat for all non-salaried and non-contractual expenses. The current salary contract, which makes up about two thirds of the D128 budget, will expire in 2018. As I look to the future, there are many things to consider. I believe it is of the utmost importance, and I am fully committed to maintaining the outstanding level of academic excellence at our two high schools. The need for budget cuts will depend on several variables including state funding of schools, a potential property tax freeze and the next teacher contract. If cuts are needed I will work to the best of my ability to keep taxes in check without diminishing the excellence of our two high schools.Do you support proposals to build a new pool at LHS or the now-shelved plan for a second gym at VHHS? Why or why not?I support the proposal to build a new pool at LHS. The current pool has passed its usable life span in configuration, air quality, and mechanical worthiness. Costs of keeping the old pool running continue to escalate, and it does not meet the swimming needs of LHS. A new pool will provide ample space and function for swim classes and extra curricular swimming teams. The second gym at VHHS will depend, in part, on the enrollment projections for the school. The most recent projections for student enrollment at VHHS anticipate an additional 300 students over the next 10 years. If these numbers hold we may need to build the second gym at VHHS. The most immediate and pressing need is for the pool at LHS.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?I think that the process for measuring student success in D128 is a good representation of student growth and learning. A combination of standardized testing, individual classroom assessment and specialized exams for AP classes brings a broad picture of how the students are learning in the district. I also have great confidence in the teaching professionals both in the classroom and at the administrative level to be evaluating current teaching and student measurement methods as well as looking at new and creative ways to be instructing and evaluating students with things like technology and collaboration in the classroom.What budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?One of the biggest unknowns at this time is the work being done on the state budget in Springfield, particularly in regard to school funding. Pension costs will likely shift to the individual districts over the next several years, property taxes may be frozen for a period of time, the General State Aid formula may be reworked to bring more equitable funding to districts that have been underfunded for many years. The CPI is also a variable each year and directly affects how much revenue can be raised through taxes. It is likely that D128 will have to make adjustments based on the results of lawmakers' decisions in Springfield. The teacher contract negotiated next year will be another big factor in budget planning going forward. D128 has been and must continue to look at ways to cut costs, eliminate waste and unnecessary positions. The fee structure in the district has been compared with nearby districts and shows some room for increased fees for optional things like Parking Fees, Driver's Ed, and Athletics. Increasing fees to outside groups that use the D128 facilities is another area that can be considered to generate more income. Maintaining the exceptional education provided by D128 is very important to me, both to benefit the students of the district and to keep property values high for all residents. Minimial cuts in programs as recommended by the administration and minimal increases in taxes, depending on all the variables mentioned above may be necessary.What role can and should school choice play in your district? If Congress or the state approves a voucher system or other means giving students broader choices among public and private schools, how will that affect your district? What is the appropriate response for the board of education of a public school system?D128 currently has school choice for a small geographic portion of the district. Currently, students living within the Village of Libertyville and within the District 73 elementary system may choose to attend VHHS (where most of their middle school classmates will attend) or LHS (the school identified with the village in which they live). School choice guidelines are dictated, in part, by available room at either school. If a school voucher system is approved by Congress or state lawmakers, the BOE will have to abide by whatever law is passed. Because D128 is one the highest performing districts in the state it is likely that a voucher system would present the issue of more students wanting to attend the Distict's schools. Without knowing what a potential law would look like it is hard to say how it would affect the district, but size constraints, financial and planning uncertainty would likely make an already complex system even more difficult to manage. It will be important to interface with our Congressmen and/or State Representatives with any concerns we might have regarding a voucher system.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?When I first ran for the D128 Board of education 8 years ago, I was a very involved parent, serving on parent boards and volunteering primarily within the fine arts areas of the school where my children attended for 10 years. One of the reasons I ran for the board was to provide good representation for the fine arts programs at LHS and VHHS at the Board level. My children have graduated and have all gone on to careers in the Arts. We are all grateful for the great education they received in D128. After spending 8 years on the BOE, my understanding of the enormous challenges of running a school district have grown exponentially. We are at a crucial time in our district and in our state, and it is my desire to continue working to make sure that excellence in education for all of our students continues long into the future. There are many financial uncertainties that threaten to undermine the remarkable gains our students have made in D128. There are also the realities of the growing tax burden on each of us who lives in this state and in our District. If elected, I will do my best to seek to continue to find balance between those two things for the betterment of our students and the protection of our taxpayers.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.My husband, as he leads his team at work with true selflessness and regard for the betterment of others.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I grew up in a home with a handicapped parent, so I learned independence and how to be self-sufficient at an early age.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?The first thing that comes to mind is that I would be more diligent at practicing the piano between lessons each week!What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English literature. It helped to cultivate a life long love of reading and learning. It has helped me gain valuable insights and perspectives about life.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be kind to others.