District 15 candidates debate space needs, boundaries

Before Palatine Elementary District 15 builds, it needs to address its other issues.

That was the prevailing thought from most of the 11 candidates vying for five seats on the district's school board at a candidate forum Saturday at Palatine's village hall. Nine of the candidates - three incumbents and five newcomers - are seeking four 4-year terms on the board. Two other candidates, both newcomers, are seeking an unexpired 2-year seat.

Studying current space utilization, redrawing school boundaries, offering full-day kindergarten and maximizing bus services were all issues that many of the candidates said should be done before the district asks voters to approve building new schools.

And many said it should have been done before the district's ill-fated request for a tax hike to build new schools last November.

Many of the challengers believe the board moved too quickly by asking voters to approve a tax hike to build after approving a controversial 10-year teachers' contract last year.

Candidate Anthony Wang said school boundaries haven't been changed in more than 20 years, which has led to population imbalance at some of the district's schools.

And instead of redrawing boundaries, the district has been busing students to schools farther away from their homes that have space available, keeping them in transit for "an irresponsible length of time," according to candidate Michael Smolka.

Meanwhile, incumbents Peggy Babcock, Gerald Chapman and James Ekeberg, defended the board's actions over the past year, but agreed the board could be better armed with data and information about its space needs before seeking another tax hike.

Babcock also suggested the board should act on the best boundary alignment plan and not wait for something that's perfect because "keeping everyone happy is not going to happen."

Wang and Smolka are part of a slate of candidates backed by the Palatine Township Republican Organization along with Frank Annerino, Lisa Beth Szczupaj and Barbara Kain, even though school board races are nonpartisan. Kain is seeking the 2-year term.

Ekeberg and Chapman attacked the slate's stance on a proposed statewide property tax freeze that would limit the district's funding and potentially put programming at risk.

"It's like saying, 'I don't want my school to grow,'" Ekeberg said.

Chapman chastised the party for inserting itself into a nonpartisan election.

Newcomer Adam Bauske, who is seeking a 4-year term, suggested the district's reserves could help stave off any funding shortage created by a property tax freeze.

Another newcomer, Sid Aman, who is also seeking a 4-year term, said the district and school board has moved too slow in studying its space needs and that has thwarted plans for full-day kindergarten being offered throughout the district.

David Border, another newcomer who is seeking the two-year seat, said the district needs to work harder at communicating with all of the district's residents, not just the ones with children attending its schools.

Early voting begins Monday and results are expected by the end of Election Day April 4.