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Heidi Fairgrieve: Candidate Profile

St. Charles Unit District 303 School Board

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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: Saint CharlesWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: fb.me/VoteFairgrieveOffice sought: St. Charles Unit District 303 School Board Age: 48Family: #ERROR!Occupation: Financial Services/Banking IndustryEducation: Bachelors of Science, AccountingMasters of Business AdministrationCertificate in International Business ManagementCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Girl Scout LeaderPTO Committee ChairpersonQuestions Answers Do you support the closure of Haines Middle School? If so, what should be done with the Haines campus once it is closed?The current D303 School Board made the decision to close Haines Middle School in the Fall of 2016. If I were to become a new D303 School Board member for the 2017-2021 term, I think it is important to continue moving the district forward with this in mind. This means ensuring that the potential $20MM investment in our middle school facilities is spent in a responsible manner with all improvements needed to ensure that both middle schools have consistent facilities in support of the same educational experience. Furthermore, the Board should be actively engaged in the two-year process and thoughtful regarding student transition plans.Prior to the Haines campus closure, I would like to review a current building evaluation of the Haines Middle School and current facility needs for the district. If there is a need for additional facilities to support specific programs, I think this should be considered, in addition to the financial impact of using the Haines campus for these purposes. If it is determined through current information that there are no ways that the campus can be productively repurposed, the real estate should be placed on the market for sale. Throughout the multiple processes I have discussed above, it is imperative that active communication between teachers, administration/support, parents, business, and the Community be sought.District officials expect the student population in the district will continue to decline in coming years. Do you believe that projection is accurate? If not, why? If so, would you support the closure of any other district schools, as was contemplated last year?I think that the actual and projected St. Charles community population and the student population subset should be evaluated on an annual basis in partnership with the St. Charles city government. Current population studies are normally considered whenever commercial or residential housing development is reviewed. A review such as this would also provide an opportunity to understand why there are variance(s) in earlier projections. This data should then be compared to the 3-5 year educational strategy for the district; providing an opportunity for strategy corrections as needed.If city government officials and the D303 School Board drew consistent conclusions from current studies that supported school closure, I would support. Statistical data with a strong confidence interval is key for this type of decision.Jason Pearson was selected as the next superintendent to replace Don Schlomann. What are your top goals for Mr. Pearson?First, I would ask Mr. Pearson to be actively engaged in the middle school transition from three to two campuses. This initiative is a significant undertaking in terms of financial investment. Additionally, it impacts future education strategies and the opportunities for positive employee/student experiences. It is important to ensure that the education experience for current/future impacted students is not compromised while looking to the future capabilities that the two new campuses will offer. Second, I would respectfully recommend he focus on transition and change management strategies to ensure a smooth transition to his new role and to the new D303 School Board. D303 will begin to experience a lot of change in the coming year simply from changes in key participants "â#128;œ a school board seeing 2-4 new members and a new superintendent. I think it is important for Mr. Pearson and the D303 School Board to be visible in our schools and to engage with parents, teachers, and administrative support.Finally, I think placing a constant focus on current/future student enrollment levels and impacts to school district funding requirements will be important for the foreseeable time. There continues to be discussions surrounding sources of district funding. The district will need to be proactive to ensure that education and fiscal strategies are met.In recent years, school board members have crafted the budget with guideline of limiting annual property tax levy increases to 2 percent or less. Can/should that guideline remain in place?I agree with the financial budgeting approach to limit annual property tax level increases to 2 percent or less. Additionally, I would recommend pro-forma financial analysis to understand the impact if current legislation relative to a property tax freeze is passed.Do you support the current plan to borrow money to replace the athletic field at St. Charles North High School with synthetic turf? Do you support a related plan to borrow money to remodel the Norris Recreation Center?The Norris Recreation Center, St. Charles School District, and the St. Charles community have a long standing relationship. I think it is important to honor the gift from the Norris family and meet whatever obligations exist. Regarding the athletic fields, I think that the needs of both high schools should be evaluated and plans developed to address any potential gaps.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I am running as a candidate for the D303 School Board because I feel it is important to bring a fresh perspective to the challenging and complex issues that face our education community "â#128;œ ultimately impacting the entire community of St. Charles. I stand for fiscal responsibility with all parties working together "â#128;œ teachers, administration/support, parents, business, and Community to ensure the coming generations are given all possible opportunities to succeed. Working together successfully includes consistent and varied communication to ensure that the "why" behind all decisions is shared.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric, has inspired me for many years due to a balanced approach to problem-solving and transparency.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The biggest lesson I learned at home growing up is to not shy away from challenges as there can be great rewards in your life.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?If I received one do-over, I would tell myself to not be so focused on the future and to enjoy being present.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subjects in school were language and communication. These skills have helped me be successful throughout my career and to have healthy family relationships.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?The one piece of advice to my daughters would be to thoroughly enjoy each phase of their lives and be present.